A Prank?
by PrinceMittens
Summary: Naruto ends up in his 12 year old body. Armed with near unparalleled power, there is much he could change. Whether those changes would affect the future for better or for worse is uncertain. In fact, the entire world that he was now in was probably one huge prank. There's no way he'd been sent back in time because time travel is impossible.. right?
1. Chapter 1

Because Time Travel is an overdone but still extremely awesome plotline.

* * *

Naruto stared into the mirror, running his hand through his hair to make sure that it was neat. Then, picking up his razor, he trimmed the few fuzzes of hair that'd sprouted on his chin and over his upper lips.

Eyes still on his own reflection, he composed his face with an expression he oft wore as a child. Once, that expression would have gained him the favor of the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. In fact, it was that expression which had convinced Hiruzen to visit more often, making his childhood a little less lonely; he was a very cute kid.

Now that he was thirty-two, his wide pleading eyes had long lost that childish charm. In turn, it had picked up a different sort of charm, the sort of charm that made his wife smile even in some of the most tense situations - the sort of charm he reserved for occasions like tonight.

"Hinata. I love you." He said to himself in the mirror. With a self-assured nod, he stepped out of the restroom.

Naruto walked with a spring in his step down the apartment hallway. He was excited. His children, Himawari and Boruto, had gone on a sleepover over at the Yamanaka residence; it was something he would've wished to have been able to do in his youth. Alas, kid Naruto had no friends, and not for lack of trying either. The mythical Nine-tailed beast that had been sealed inside him had been the cause of the contempt of many villagers. He didn't blame them or the Nine-tails; they couldn't help who they were at the time. His childhood misery had been the result of ignorance and hatred. It was a fact he'd long grown accustomed to.

No one was ever intentionally ignorant or hateful. Such vices were created by chance, not by choice.

Outside his bedroom, he could hear his wife's soft voice humming low. Naruto paused in front of the door. He'd never heard that tune before. It was a sad tune, one which didn't match the mood he was in, but it was very beautiful, especially when sung in her voice.

The humming stopped, replaced suddenly by a speaking voice. "I can see you, Naruto."

Naruto felt a pleasant simmering in his chest at the sound of his own name. Of course, his wife's Byakugan eyes allowed her to see through any physical objects up to massive radiuses which spanned many kilometers if she so wished. It also meant that she had probably been watching him while he was preparing himself for her.

"I've never heard you hum that tune before, Hinata. I like it."

"Oh. Umm. Thank you."

Even through the walls, Naruto could practically see his wife shifting in place. His project of helping her overcome her shyness had been largely successful - his love, their children, her motherhood, and her own personal persistence had all contributed to the more confident woman she was now, but it was moments like these which reminded him of the awkward child she had been: the shy stuttering girl that she hated so much. Unfortunately, after all these years, she was still having trouble dealing with straightforward compliments. It never got in the way of her performance both in the fields and at home, but it saddened him a little, especially when she still became embarrassed at compliments from her own husband.

"Well are you going to just stand there?"

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and slid the door open.

His attention immediately centered on the woman inside. She had laid herself on her back, and wore a simple white T-shirt. Her hair was brushed to a glossy hue of black.

The woman let the bulging veins around her eyes fade and visibly trained her pupils toward the doorway under which he stood.

"With my beautiful wife waiting for me on the other side? I'd be an idiot to do that!"

"You're not an idiot." Hinata said kindly. "But if you keep me waiting any longer, I might start to believe that you were dysfunctional and trying to hide it."

With a laugh, Naruto walked toward his wife with deliberate care, his eyes never leaving her.

"Uzumaki Naruto, what took you so long?"

"Well tonight is special. I want everything to be perfect."

"If you were so diligent, Shikamaru wouldn't be complaining to me about how much trouble you cause him." The woman jested skeptically.

"Yeah well.." Naruto knelt to the side of her head, noting the way her eyes followed him. "Shikamaru thinks everything is trouble." He gently lifted a handful of dark hair into his fingers, letting them fall rippling strand by strand back onto the cushion below. "You must've spent a lot of time to get your hair to be so soft. I love it."

"Do you?"

"I do." With his knees still folded under him, Naruto leaned forward and planted a brief kiss on the woman's lips.

Just as he was lifting himself away, however, Hinata trapped his neck around her arms, pulling him down and forcing his lips to fall once more upon hers.

Naruto hummed with pleasure as he felt a hand run carefully around the back of his head, riffling through his blonde spikes.

Finally, his wife released him. "I like your hair too. I like your whiskers, your chest, your lips.. your tongue.."

Naruto answered with another kiss, this time hovering himself directly above his wife's prone form. After an even longer moment than before, Naruto let his head rise, this time without interruption. "Me too, Hinata. I love your skin, your soft voice, your shyness, your confidence. I love your quiet strength, your beautiful hair, your gentle hands.."

As Naruto spoke, he could feel the hands that were in his hair trail across and down his back, causing him to almost shiver. "I love you, Hinata."

With a feeling of satisfaction, Naruto watched as his wife's face went from its usual pale shade to a healthy shade of pink; it told him that he'd timed his words perfectly.

"I love you too." Hinata replied earnestly, and Naruto waited no further. He let his body fall gently, let his lips onto his wife's soft skin, let his hands fall across the places she loved.

She in turn, gripped his upper arms tightly, trapping them. "Wait."

Naruto stopped.

"Do we want another child?"

"I'd love another child. Do you want another child?"

Feeling a little impatient, Hinata's lips pulled down in a slight frown as she fought off her visceral instincts. "Boruto and Himawari are amazing. I.. I think I would love to have another addition to our family."

"Then it's settled!" Naruto beamed.

Hinata, for her part, couldn't restrain herself any longer. She bolted up, pushing Naruto onto his back and positioning herself on top. "Naruto-kun.. you talk too much. Fuck me already."

Naruto-kun.. now that was an address he hadn't heard in a long time. He giggled. "Hinata-chan! I didn't know you were like this.."

"Naruto-kun.." Hinata panted in response. Even at thirty, her husband was still so _fit_.

Naruto flipped forward, pushing Hinata onto her back and returning to his position above her. Gods she was so cute. It made him want to bite something. And he did.

Hinata gasped.

* * *

"Hmmm.. my first impression is.. I don't like you."

Naruto stared dumbly at the head of silver hair covered in clouds of chalk. His face was still flushed. In fact, he could still feel the lingering touches on his person, touches which had been gentle and very sensual. _What._

A single eye peeked out from its masked covering, its voice speaking in monotone. "Meet me at the rooftop and don't be late."

The man placed his hand in a single seal and vanished in a puff of smoke and swirling leaves.

There was a space of silence during which Naruto simply sat in place, refusing to believe what he felt of his surroundings.

"I can't believe he fell for that." Said a girlish voice, breaking the silent tension

Another voice followed in grudging distemper. "So the Jonin being assigned to us is a fool."

"OY Naruto!" The girl screeched. "I thought you'd be happy that your prank worked!"  
Naruto stood with a tremble. No. This couldn't be happening. "No.."

"Dobe. What's wrong with you?"

He stared at his short arms and at his patchy orange jumpsuit. "What the fuck is this?!"

"Naruto?" The pink haired girl asked with concern. That's right Thirteen year old Sakura probably never heard him swear before. For all his loud-mouthed tomfoolery, twelve year old Naruto actually had a very clean vocabulary. Except he wasn't actually twelve year old Naruto.

"He's being his stupid self as usual." A suave voice spoke, filling in the second void. "Let's go to the rooftop to meet our new mentor. Even if he's a fool, he's still the one who's been assigned to us.." The boy stood up. "Naruto, are you coming or are you giving up being a ninja?"

"Sasuke.." Naruto swallowed. "I'll be right behind you. You go on ahead for now."

His best friend gave him a strange look.

The pink-haired girl pulled at his arm. "You can't. You're coming with us. What if our Jonin is expecting for all three of us to arrive at the same time? Naruto.. what in the world is wrong with you?"

"Aha." Naruto forced himself to grin. "Well.. I couldn't believe he fell for my trap. I seriously didn't expect that to work so uh.. I'm a bit miffed."

"'Miffed?'"

Sakura furrowed her eyes in disbelief. Naruto gave her a look that he hoped looked to be genuine surprise.

Sasuke shook his head. "Whatever. Ignore him. Let's go Sakura."

The two teens picked their way out from the desk aisles and left, leaving Naruto to stand alone in the otherwise empty classroom.

"I've gone back in time.."

Naruto blasted his Chakra in an attempt to dispel whatever Illusion technique might have been cast on him. This was surreal.. impossible. This had to be a dream, but how could a dream feel so real? How could he be so.. aware?

With a concentration of Chakra and a careless flick of his little fists, Naruto shattered a space of desk in front of him. If this were real then..Naruto's fists tightened. His wife and children were gone, out of his reach forever and ever..

Still.. even if she wasn't the same woman that he'd married, Hyuuga Hinata was a living part of this universe.. this timeline. She was probably at home now, being raised in that horribly toxic environment. Just the thought made him feel weary. He didn't blame Hiashi. Once he'd gotten to know his father in law, he'd found that Hiashi wasn't actually that bad. The man had had his daughter's best interest at heart even if his methods came off as making him seem negligent and hurtful. True, Hinata's self-confidence had been damaged during this period, but in the end, she'd turned out alright.

When she'd first confessed her love to him, it had been while standing in front of a terrifyingly powerful enemy who had not only single-handedly wiped out the entire village, but had also incapacitated the Leaf's best Shinobi - himself included. He hadn't remembered much of that moment, but hearing it recounted to him had sent chills down his spine and his heart into a frenzy. Hinata - shy, finger-pushing Hinata - had stood up to an impossible enemy for his sake with a courage that many Shinobi would find difficult to outmatch. It was her apparent death during that encounter which had caused him to lose his mind completely to the Nine-tails. If Hinata hadn't stood between him and Nagato's Pain, Naruto would've been captured. If that had happened, everything that he'd managed to achieve would've fallen apart. Without Uzumaki Naruto in the picture, things would have looked very grim for those left behind; he'd been an integral part of the Fourth Shinobi war and in the defeat of the Goddess, Kaguya.

The point was, he loved his wife. He loved the girl who had stood up for him and pursued him for the better part of her life. He loved the woman who had borne his children, who made him feel happy and complete.

The girl of this universe who bore his wife's name was both the same and, at the same time, a completely different person as the one who he'd loved.

Ok. Even if he didn't hate Hiashi and even if the Hinata of this time wasn't his Hinata, he was still going to have to do something to make sure that the girl at least had someone to ease her suffering.

And then there was his children.

He knew, of course, that if he was truly trapped in this universe, then he would probably never see either Boruto or Himawari again. The odds of that happening were near nonexistent. He would have to fertilize her with just the right set of sperm at just the right time in order for them to reach just the right eggs. In other words, even if he married Hinata again, the odds of seeing the exact sperm and egg combination that made Boruto and Himawari were outrageously close to zero.

Thus, his children were practically dead, killed before they were even born.

Naruto swallowed that thought away. That was only true if his current condition were permanent.

Whatever had caused this strange situation, he'd guess that it was probably a very powerful Illusion on the level of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, though how or why anyone would do this to him was beyond his reckoning.

A voice in the back of his head cried 'Sasuke' in an accusing tone. He let the voice simmer against his other thoughts.

If he was simply in an Illusion, then Boruto and Himawari were still alive.

Yes. That's what he'd have to believe. They were still alive.

On the subject of the living, there were a lot of people still alive in this timeline, people who'd died prematurely; many of these were people who did not have to die, and now that he was here, Naruto would make sure that they didn't die.

Neji, Jiraiya, the old Third Hokage, the parents of many of his friends.. so many pointless casualties in the wars that he'd been forced to fight before he was even a legal adult.

Things were different now that he was in this universe. The resolutions to the many conflicts that had happened during his previous life had been undone in a single stroke.

Orochimaru was still a criminal. The Akatsuki had yet to be defeated and was controlled by the Rinnegan-wielding leader of the Hidden Rain, Nagato; the criminal organization should start terrorizing the Shinobi factions soon, collecting Bijuu for its insane project at peace. Uchiha Obito, Kakashi's former teammate, should still be hiding in the shadows of the Akatsuki. In Obito's own shadow was the legendary Uchiha Madara, who had been the one to have inculcated Obito's motives.

Finally, there was the self-proclaimed Goddess's child, black Zetsu, who was also a key factor.

He knew what he had to do. All the secret enemies, their motives, and the plots behind convoluted plots that they had hatched- he knew them all.

He could change everything. Uzumaki Naruto was nothing if not a forward-looking person. Lamenting the loss of his family and the perfect evening he was about to spend with his wife wasn't going to help him out of his predicament.

Naruto examined the splintered chunk of wood torn out of the lecture desk, and tossed aside his already half-formulated plans. This was probably all just an Illusion anyway. It was the only reasonable explanation. There was only one person capable of casting this level of Tsukuyomi Illusion that he knew of in his time. In fact, the Sharinnegan that Sasuke possessed in his right eye was almost certainly capable of doing this.

Naruto rolled his eyes to no one's benefit.

If this was Sasuke's idea of a joke, then the bastard had better be ready to get his ass whooped when he got back. It wasn't a very funny joke.  
Ever since taking on the Hokage position, he'd been at the forefront of every modern venture - of progress. Being so involved with international relations, administration, and an innumerable host of other projects had left him with little to no free time, let alone time with his wife when their kids weren't around; it was a rare day when Uzumaki Naruto wasn't everywhere in the village, his clones scattered about to perform various necessary duties in every faculty and every front. And now he was here, his one evening with his wife. Ruined.

Taking a breath, he yelled as loudly as he could. "Fuck you Sasuke! This isn't funny! You're away from the village all the time right? Getting to spend time with Sakura is rare RIGHT?! How would you feel if I made you suddenly go back in time right when you're about to fuck Sakura after waiting to do it for so long?! Yeah! That's how I'm feeling right now!"

There was a gasp, and Naruto let his temper cool. Standing at the doorway were his two teammates who had probably returned to collect him to the little meeting up at the roof. For the second time that day, Naruto stared dumbly at the space under the Academy's doorway.

"Dobe! What in the world are you talking about?!"

Naruto pointed a finger at the pretty-face 'last' Uchiha.. "You're a troll!"

Sasuke's eyes flared with anger. "I don't know why I even bothered. Sakura. We're not waiting for him."

The boy brushed past the mortified girl, leaving Sakura standing alone at the doorway. Naruto suddenly felt guilty. Of course, she had been the one to have suggested waiting for him, causing Sasuke to mistreat her.. well if he thought of it that way, then this was mostly Sasuke's fault. Gods 13-year old Sasuke was such an asshole. In fact, it seemed Sasuke had always been an asshole. This Illusion that the Uchiha had put him in, for example, was the epitome of assholery.

Naruto stepped over the desk, leaping to his teammate's side, and gave Sakura a smile, hoping it would make her feel better. "Let's go Sakura-chan." He said kindly.

On instinct, he stepped away from a punch to his head. As the girl screeched at him, Naruto took in her countenance, idly comparing her to the woman she'd become.

He'd never really thought about it much. Time travel wasn't something he did very often, and so he'd never had the privilege of making this comparison before. With how nice Sakura had become as she'd matured, he'd almost forgotten just how very immature she had been at this age.

Letting the small, pink-haired girl take the lead, he followed behind her toward the Academy rooftop.

Knowing this Sakura much better than he did the first time, he surmised her thoughts to be something along the lines of: ' _I hate Naruto. He is the most horrible person in the world. Nothing like Sasuke._ '

"Sakura-"

"SHUT UP!"

Well then.

He didn't quite dare call her an asshole. Uchiha Sakura's temper was legendary, and had left him scarred with some horrible memories. In some ways, she was even worse than Sasuke. Naruto sighed, prompting a quick glare from the girl as he climbed the stairs. Maybe that was why Sasuke had finally returned her affections.

"Sakura-chan. You're kind of mean you know that?"

Sakura turned another glare at him, but somehow this one didn't seem as scathing as the last. His words had struck home.. probably.

"That's your fault for being a complete IDIOT." The girl turned with a harumph and began stamping up the stairs even faster than before.

Or not.

* * *

Author's Note: As an aside, I intended to upload this as the prologue to my other story: Woes of Cynicism, but this turned out to be such a nice standalone that I'd decided against it.. it would be such a pity to segue what I've written here into WoC's plotline. This story will instead digress from the happenings of WoC. Major credit to Ally McNally for the inspiration. She wanted me to delve more into Naruto's side of the story. I took up her suggestion, and I'm very pleased with the result. Thanks Ally! I'm glad you pushed for this. ^-^


	2. Chapter 2

Bloop.

* * *

A cyclops glared at them as if they were the most despicable little gnats to have existed since time immemorial. "You're late."

"Ah sorry. We just got lost on the road to life. You know how it is."

The single eye froze, the gaze in that grey pupil seemed to be strained in concentration as it zeroed in on a pair of innocent-looking blue eyes.

"Sensei?" Sakura queried.

"Strange.. well.." The cyclops smiled away its silence. "Let's get started then. Why don't you introduce yourselves? Name, likes, dislikes, and dreams for the future."

"Why don't you go first?" Sasuke suggested.

"Yeah." Sakura followed. "We already know each other's names and you probably already know ours. You're the only one who's a mystery here."

"That's true, but- how do I put this? It is generally good manners to introduce yourself to someone you've only met face to face for the first time, so I'll expect you to do so. I suppose I'll give you a template to work off of so I'll begin first. Let's see. My name is Hatake Kakashi. My likes.. you're too young for me to tell you. Dislikes.. Hmm. Dreams for the future.. not telling." The eye closed up in a smile. "Ok your turn!"

The look of disbelief that the man received from his prospective Genin must have been funny to behold - three pairs of eyes glaring in disbelief at the way the man had given them nothing but his name despite the more detailed prompt. It was fun messing with kids; Naruto even did it himself with his own children. Unlike Kakashi, however, he made sure to moderate the level of shenanigans that he engaged in, if only so that his kids grew up with at least some sort of standard for normal behavior. God forbid his children all ended up being antisocial savants like Kakashi had been.

Hatake Kakashi had been many things to him: an elder, a mentor, an intelligent ally, a trusted friend. Naruto knew the man's character inside out. In the years after the Fourth Shinobi war, Kakashi had slowly opened himself up to his students, particularly to the Uzumaki family during his reign as Sixth Hokage. It was the man's invaluable advice and aid which had helped Naruto through the first difficult period of transition into the Hokage position, and it was the man's connection with the Uzumaki's which had turned him from a superior and mentor to a close family friend.

Naruto waited as Kakashi first let Sakura and then Sasuke give their character introductions.

Had Sakura really been such a dork when it came to Sasuke? The way she'd shaped all her likes and dreams to revolve around him was actually really cute.

And then it came to Sasuke, who gave a bland introduction about training and power.

"My dream.. my _goal_.. is to kill a certain someone." Sasuke finished darkly.

Naruto knew exactly who this certain someone was. Uchiha Itachi was still alive, he'd almost completely forgotten about Sasuke's brother. What was he going to do about Uchiha Itachi this time around?

Before Naruto could further think on the subject, Kakashi had turned to him.

"And finally: you. Tell us who you are."

Naruto nodded.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! My likes are being late, playing pranks on children, and reading the Icha Icha Paradise series. I especially like that one where the gay tragic hero of the castle arc gets trapped in a paradise of women where he has to have sex with every-"

A fist was sent flying to his head. Naruto let the attack glance against his skull, mitigating most of the damage with a protective layer of Chakra.

"Y-you.. you IDIOT!

Naruto rubbed his head in mock pain at the red-faced girl. "Sakura-chan.."

"You're GROSS! Don't even TALK to me you dirty freak!"

"Sakura-chan. Don't hit me again."

"I.." Sakura looked away, suddenly sheepish as her blush deepened, going all the way to the roots of her pink hair. That was good. She needed to learn that pounding people in the face wasn't an acceptable form of social response, granted that it had been his fault that she'd developed that habit; he'd really pushed her over the edge as a kid with his constant badgering for dates and whatnot. Even in adulthood, Sakura would sometimes display disastrously violent tendencies, once even destroying her own house in a fit of anger over something her daughter had said. The favors he had had to pull for her in the aftermath - appeasing the landowner and the debtors whose loans she hadn't paid off - had been one of the few instances which had served to mute her natural tendency for outward physical violence.

Being one of the Hokage's closest friend had its benefits, he supposed, especially when you went and did something really stupid like destroy a house which you only partially owned. He hated pulling favors like that. It made him feel like he was abusing his position. Sakura, for her part had been extremely apologetic. She knew that her outbursts only brought about trouble, and she tried to restrain herself, but every so often, that inner Sakura would break out and something or someone would inevitably get hurt. If he could stem her problem early, maybe she'd be able to restrain herself more easily and effectively.

Kakashi cleared his throat loudly. "And your dislikes?"

Naruto glanced briefly at Sasuke. The brooding Uchiha to his side was simply glaring at a random spot on the floor. Maybe if Sakura were less scary, the bastard would visit her more often instead of leaving her to raise their daughter alone for years and years on end.

Taking his cue to continue, Naruto resumed his introduction. "My dislikes.. I absolutely hate people who give up on their dreams, who sit around letting the pains of their past eat them away on the inside. People like that are worse than trash. My dream.."

He paused. Kakashi was staring at him like he was some strange species of bird.

"My dream.. is to become the Hokage and to help create a world in which no one has to die for the meaningless conflicts created by this insane Shinobi world.. a world where my friends won't be killed in front of me, where the tragedy of death that is war is something that will never happen again.. to anyone."

"You don't have any friends.." Sakura said weakly. Sasuke was still glaring at the floor.

"I do. I've always considered the two of you to be my friends. Even if sometimes we don't get along too well. I will always be your friend and I will always be there for you.." Naruto smiled. "Dattebayo." He added as an afterthought. That was what he said when he was a kid right? 'Dattebayo'? He fought a grimace at the thought. He hoped he wasn't being too mushy or coming on too strongly.

Using the temporary lapse of silence, Kakashi took his chance to speak.

"Every Kage's dream is peace." The man began, his eye gleaming with a rare, animated light. "But even the First Hokage, with all his power, could not stop the wars and deaths that plagued his life. Even if you were to become Hokage, what would make Uzumaki Naruto any different from Senju Hashirama or any of the other Kage's that came after him?"

 _Because unlike the First, I know who my enemies are._ "Because I promised to do it. And I never go back on my promises. I will never give up until I've achieved my dream. That's my Ninja Way."

"I see." Kakashi smiled, blatantly radiating skepticism with that single expression.. "Aand that'll be it for today. See me at Training Ground Three tomorrow at 6 AM sharp. Do _not_ be late this time. And a word of advice. You should probably not eat breakfast since you'll just puke it all out anyway."

With that, the Jonin vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Hey. Let's go training together."

Naruto looked from one teammate to the other. Neither were looking at him. Sakura was acting sheepish, as if looking at him would soil her eyes.

Sasuke on the other hand.. well he was being Sasuke. If looks could burn - which they sometimes could, Naruto imagined that the spot the Uchiha was glaring at would be incinerated into dust.

"Hey come on!" Naruto gave what he hoped was a friendly, encouraging smile. "Whatever Kakashi's going to make us do, it'll probably have to do with teamwork since Genin teams are generally formed in squads of three. We have the rest of the afternoon, and I know some pretty cool formations. Let's practice!"

"Naruto.."

"Hm?" Naruto tilted his head and looked straight into his teammate's green eyes, causing them to immediately shift away from his gazed

"Since when were you so.." The girl paused as if looking for the right word. "..different?"

"Well.." Naruto tapped a finger to his chin. Nearby, Sasuke had finally stopped glaring at the floor and had seemed to also taken in interest in him. "It would probably be when I realized what was really important to me."

"You'll have to do better than that, dobe." Sasuke interceded. "Give us the real explanation."

"Heh. A real explanation huh?" Naruto looked the Uchiha dead in the eyes. "All my life I wanted recognition. It's the reason I wanted to become Hokage. But I've received recognition, and I've realized just how empty such a goal really was. What do I really want? What did I really care about?"

Naruto once again let his gaze go from one teammate to the next. "I care about people, even those who treat me like the scum of the world. I care about the Third who visits me sometimes. I care about Teuchi, who runs Ichiraku Ramen. I care about you. You are my closest friends, even if you don't know that yet."

Sakura gulped, the words apparently taking her off guard. "You think we're your.. closest friends?"

Sasuke's dark eyes scrutinized him carefully. "Why?"

"Now that's kind of hard to explain. Why do parents love their children? Why does a man love his wife? Why do people love this village? You're my friends. I would do anything for you."

"Really?" Sasuke smirked his irksome smirk. "Then why don't you start by pulling down your pants and wearing it on your head?"

Naruto smiled cheerily. Was Sasuke always such a smartass? "Doing anything for you and doing anything you want me to do are two different things. Maybe you'll learn the difference sometimes you bastard. Now. Training."

He flicked his eyes briefly at Sakura who - what a surprise! - was staring expectantly at Sasuke, waiting for the Uchiha to make the decision for her.

Sasuke stood, rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms. If Naruto didn't know any better, he'd almost say that the smile the bastard wore was genuine. "Why not? Show us what you've got, _deadlast_."

* * *

The girl ran exhausted. This wasn't what she had been expecting. Under the almost nonexistent moonlight, Training Ground three was an eerily dismal place to be. This wasn't what she had been expecting at all.

Suddenly, she felt something yank hard at her hair, and she winced in pain as a kunai was put under her neck.

"You're dead." A voice said darkly, and for a moment, she believed that to be true. She was going to die.

Without warning, her hair was released, and she collapsed onto the ground in a dead faint.

* * *

"Sakura-chan!"

The voice swam blurrily in her mind.

"Sakura-chan! You're ok! Whew! For a moment I was worried there!"

A bright smile.

"You did really well for the first part, but you shouldn't have run away. We'll have to do that part again."

The girl nodded, unable to speak as she gathered herself back into the world of consciousness.

Naruto patted her on the back. Sakura looked exhausted. He'd forgotten how very devoted she was to her appearance as a girl. She did look nice. Her dieting, however, had done its toll on her physique. A Shinobi needed a wholesome diet to match the highly energy-consumptive activities in which they engaged. He would have to talk to her about that later.

Naruto looked to Sasuke who, like him, seemed to be unfazed by their exertions. The Uchiha pocketed his kunai.

"Sakura." He said sharply, causing her to look up immediately despite her state. It was almost pitiful the way she tried to hide her tiredness and fix her hair for him.

"You should cut your hair. It gets in the way. An enemy could use that as leverage to snap your neck."

The girl stared wide-eyed as she processed the suggestion and nodded again.

"And stop acting like such an idiot when you're around me."

Sakura flinched, and Sasuke continued. "You can diet and dress yourself up all day, but in the end, if you can't even hold your own as a Shinobi, then you're nothing more than a useless little girl playing at being Ninja."

Naruto watched as the girl trembled, her self-confidence deeply shaken. "Oy Sasuke-"

" _Naruto._ If we're going to work as a team, then we have to be honest about our teammates' weaknesses." The Uchiha explained, then seemed to pause in thought. "I'm not letting her drag me down." He added quietly.

Naruto looked again at his pink-haired teammate who seemed to have caught her breath, wiping her eyes on her forearm, she stared resolutely at the Uchiha. "I won't drag you down. I swear it."

"Good."

"Well then!" Naruto stretched and put his hands behind his head. "I'm exhausted! Let's go get something to eat!"

"I can't.." Sakura said with a tone of regret. "My parents are expecting me to be home for dinner."

"Then why don't you invite us to your place? I bet your parents would love to meet their daughter's future teammates! Come on bastard, we're going to Sakura's house!"

Sasuke stared mutedly at him like the socially awkward thirteen year old that he'd been and then grunted his assent. "Let's go then."

"B-but-" The girl stammered.

"Sakura's house, here we come! I hope your parents have extra food for guests!" Naruto cheered. It'd been a long time since he'd seen Sakura's parents. Both of them had died during the Fourth Shinobi war, killed by one of the Ten-tails' long-ranged Bijuu-damas which had destroyed Shinobi villages from all over the continent.

Being back in the past meant that he actually had a chance to really get to know them, a chance which he had not been able to take in his time. In a way, he was also doing Sasuke a favor. The bastard would've _loved_ to get to know his in-laws..

Maybe.

He could hardly even remember the last time Team 7 had been able to spend time like this. Back then, it'd seemed like just another day training with each other under Kakashi's guidance. Somehow, doing it all over again made the experience feel so much more magical than it had been the first time around. In fact, the entire afternoon had been giving him almost nothing but feelings of warm nostalgia.

Naruto realized that he'd really missed this - just being a kid again and going through an average training session with the younger versions of his teammates.. it was enough to make him want to hug them both and never let go. The Shinobi life was something that had yet to trouble them. For now, they were still just children. It was a fleeting innocence that Naruto knew wouldn't last. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't treasure this moment - this brief period of peace before everything had been turned upside down. If only he could've been put back in time further, maybe he could've prevented the Uchiha Massacre. That reminded him.. Danzo was still around running ROOT and hatching twisted plans for peace, plans which have had continually and successively worse results. There was nothing he could do about Danzo now. The man's worst decisions have already been made.

The Akatsuki had already been betrayed, and Kabuto had already been leased to Orochimaru; the Uchiha Massacre... well he couldn't really blame Danzo completely for that one. On the subject of ROOT, Naruto wondered what his pale friend, Sai, was doing. The boy was probably still undergoing the emotional conditioning that all members of ROOT were required to do; Danzo was an idiot. His paranoia had produced many small benefits for the village, benefits which were severely outweighed by a handful of very bad decisions. These decisions, which had seemed beneficial in the short-run, had contributed significantly to some of the world's greatest disasters that were to come; Yakushi Kabuto had become what he was due, in no small part, to Danzo's wiles. The man's Impure World Resurrection had been precisely the cause of the majority of the casualties during the Fourth Shinobi War; The undead Uchiha Madara alone had erased half their forces. Things would be different this time, Naruto resolved. Madara would not be revived. Kabuto would be nipped in the bud, Obito would be stopped, and the Akatsuki changed for the better. He would give his friends the life they deserved.

As he watched his teammates walk almost companionably to each other's side, Naruto couldn't help but think of his own wife and wonder how she was faring. She was probably sitting at her family table, eating dinner in silence as her parents talked over her, discussing secret Hyuuga things with the Hyuuga elders who ate with them.

His good mood waned, and despite the cheerful, energetic exterior he put up for his teammates, Naruto suddenly felt very tired. Even with all the opportunities to change things for the better, part of him wished he could just be home with his wife and children again. He hadn't even been living in this world of Illusion for more than a half a day and already he missed them.

Another part of him, one which he fought desperately to quell, was telling him that this wasn't a simple Illusion - that the wife he knew and his children were lost to him forever to this strange paradox of time. That couldn't be true; this world simply had to be an Illusion..

It just had to be.

* * *

Author's Note: I often make a ton of little changes to my published chapters immediately after I publish them. It's probably bad form and I probably should edit and THEN publish. Meh.


	3. Chapter 3

I feel sleepy.

* * *

Haruno Mebuki was conflicted. Certainly her husband understood the meaning of such a visit, but she couldn't trust him to make the right decision.

On the one hand, one of them was the Demon brat. It was well known that the Monster which had slaughtered half the village twelve years ago had been contained inside the body of a child. Many believed that child to have long been destroyed, its spirit supplanted by that of the evil Fox. Underneath those innocent-looking blonde hair and blue eyes, the Fox waited for its chance to return to power to finish what it'd tried to do twelve years back.

While the truth of that belief was uncertain, it didn't hurt to be cautious. Besides, the Demon brat was a social taboo.

If Sakura had brought just the Demon brat, she would have turned the boy out immediately and given her daughter a stern lecture on being more selective of the guests she allowed.

But Sakura hadn't brought just the Demon brat. No-no. The other guest she'd brought was none other than Uchiha Sasuke, last of the Uchiha clan and heir to the entire Uchiha residence.

As much as she wanted to deny one and accept the other, it would make her seem spiteful. They seemed to get along decently, enough for Sakura to have invited them both to dinner. Rejecting one could make a bad impression on the other, which is exactly the opposite of what she wanted to do.

If anything, it was the last Uchiha who mattered more. No matter how much she might dislike the Demon brat, the Fox was at least pretending to be friendly and thus was relatively harmless.. for now.

And so, the Haruno matron smiled. "Well come on in. We definitely have room for two more."

The Demon brat beamed and ran into the house. "Wow what a nice place!" The boy yelled.

"OH! Who are you?!" A deep vice asked in curious surprise.

"Uzumaki Naruto! Sakura-chan's classmate!"

"Well aren't you just a ball of energy!" There was a sound of laughter from the living room the voice boomed back proudly. "It is nice isn't it! We designed all the furnitures ourselves to fit everything just right!"

"Oh really?! That's really neat! I've been thinking of building my own furniture too, but even just the material costs strain my budget. I've been finding scraps, but some of the things I put together with those kind of fall apart really easily."

"Oh?" Her husband's voice floated out. "They really shouldn't if you build them right.. although if you only used scrap material.. hmm.. maybe it's the decay rather than the design. What kind of budget are you working with? I know a place with some nice discounts on craft materials. Oh by the way, I'm Haruno Kizashi, Sakura's father."

Mebuki twitched her lips as she held back a snarl. What was Kizashi doing? Was her husband actually getting along with the Demon brat? How dare the brat seduce her husband into friendliness!

"Mother! You're in the way!"

The woman turned her attention back to her daughter, the anxious creases running down the side of her mouth disappearing in a smile at the very handsome boy next to her pink-haired girl. The sight of her Sakura standing shoulder to shoulder with the Uchiha almost made the proud mother want to squee in delight. It was so picturesque; they almost looked like a couple, never mind that she didn't want her daughter dating until the girl was at least a few years older.

Uchiha Sasuke was an exception.

"Please, come in." Mebuki pasted on an ingratiating smile.

Sakura stepped in past the threshold and turned back. "Sasuke?"

She watched her crush inquisitively as he stood in place at the doorway, unmoving.

Inside she could hear Naruto talking loudly with her dad, the sound of their laughter could probably be heard even next door.

The Uchiha stepped in with a muttered "Pardon the intrusion." under his breath.

"Oh no need to be polite!" Said her mother. "Now unfortunately, as much as I'd like to show you around, I've yet to finish making dinner. We weren't expecting any guests tonight.." The woman glared at her daughter. "And boys too."

"What's wrong with boys?" Sakura challenged defiantly.

"Hmph!" The woman sniffed. "Uchiha Sasuke was it? If you're planning on dating my daughter, you'd better keep your hands to yourself at least until the both of you are-"

"MOTHER!" Sakura screeched, her face tinted with a small blush. "Just.. go do something else already! You're embarrassing me!"

"Haruno-san." The Uchiha finally spoke.

"Yes dear?"

"I'm not dating your daughter."

Sakura felt her stomach drop.

"Huh?" The woman narrowed her eyes in confusion. What? She'd thought Sakura had brought the boy here on a.. something clicked. Wait. That couldn't be right.

If it wasn't the Uchiha.. then.. "Sakura?! Who are you dating?! It wouldn't be that.. that blonde brat would it?!"

"Kaa-san! I'm not dating either of them! We're only thirteen!" The girl yelled, practically in tears.

"Oh of course of course." The woman suddenly seemed to return to reality. "Ah. Sorry for making you stand there for so long listening to our bickering. I'll go finish the food now. Come in and make yourself at home!"

Sasuke nodded. "Thank you. I hope I'm no trouble."

The woman nodded and stalked off toward the kitchen. The boy was so polite too. What were the odds of Uchiha Sasuke being here eating dinner with their family. Sakura was such a lucky girl!

Sakura began walking toward the living room where the sound of friendly bantering could be heard between her father and her loud, orange teammate.

Sasuke followed behind her. If this were any other day, she might have tried to impress him with some factoid she knew or simply squeal over how cool he was, but at the moment, she really didn't know what to say to him. Her mother's earlier comments had left her mortified beyond words.

"-and the way Ayame-nee was looking at me as I swallowed the fifteenth bowl!" Naruto was saying from his position on the floor. The man sitting cross-legged on the other side of the table chortled.

"She told me: 'I know I said you could eat as much as you like, but at this rate you'll eat us out of our stock! What are you a bottomless ramen pit?!'" Naruto grinned as the curly-haired man laughed.

"If it weren't for them, I think I'd end up being just a skinny sack of skin and bones. I seriously owe my life to those two."

Sasuke walked over and sat next to the blonde, and Sakura decided to do the same.

She frowned. Ichiraku's Ramen was a Ramen stand ran by a man and his daughter. It was well known among the Academy students and various Shinobi as a favorite rendezvous point.. did Ayame really give Naruto fifteen free bowls of Ramen?! Why?

"Kid." Her father said seriously. "The world is filled with despicable people who would hate you for the dumbest things. Don't let them get to you. For every one of them, there is another who would be willing to help you.. like that old man Teuchi you were telling me about. I'm glad you met them."

"Me too." The boy suddenly turned energetically, his hands waving in wild motion. "Oh Sasuke! This is Sakura's dad."

"Haruno Kizashi, Sakura's father. Or dad, as she'd call me." The man extended a hand forward which Sasuke shook.

"Uchiha Sasuke. Pleased to meet you. Haruno-san. I've always wondered what kind of parents a girl like Sakura could have come from."

"Is that so?" The man winked. "Have you taken an interest in my daughter, Sasuke-kun?"

"Dad!" Sakura cried, feeling betrayed. She did want Sasuke's attention but she didn't want her parents to get involved. _You should be glad for the help!_ Her inner Sakura chided, and then took over. "Of course he has! Why do you think he agreed to come over?~" She grabbed her crush's arm, hugging it possessively.

"You must be mistaken.." Sasuke smirked, staring straight into Kizashi's eyes. "If you mean this fangirl-type personality who doesn't know anything about the Shinobi world and who does nothing but fawn over her appearance and boys, then no. I have no interest in her."

That was.. unusually blunt. Sakura wilted in place, her inner Sakura receding and abandoning her in her moment of shame. The arm she had held instantly fell from her loosening grasps.

A feeling of mild dismay began to crop up in Naruto's chest. His beliefs were definitely justified. Future best-friend or not, Sasuke was a veritable asshole

"Maybe if she were less of a fangirl and more focused." Sasuke added thoughtfully. "She has really good Chakra control; I bet she'd make a good medic-nin if she put her efforts into that instead of doing useless things like competing with Ino to look pretty."

Naruto focused on the pair of dark eyes and the condescending expression. Was it just him or did 13-year old Sasuke just entertain the idea of dating Sakura and then suggest she become a medic-nin?

The particular detail stood out to him because the Sakura he knew had indeed become a medic-nin, and not just any medic-nin either, but one of the best of her time. Maybe his words on teamwork had changed Sasuke's perception on how to achieve his priorities. A strong team meant that their growth would be given maximum opportunities and better challenges in the future, challenges that would have been made unavailable if their team's net level of performance had been lower. Perhaps. By coaxing Sakura into improving, Sasuke was directly contributing to Team 7's growth and cohesion. In other words, Sasuke's every move thus far had been put forth for the sake of their yet-to-be-formed team. In the end, it all came back to his friend's own personal growth in power; the difference this time was in how he went about achieving it.

"Aha well!" Kizashi laughed. "She probably picked that up from her mother. I do appreciate that my wife puts effort into making herself presentable, but just between you and me." The man dropped his voice. "I think my wife goes a bit overboard. She has so many cosmetics.. and those dieting pills.. ugh. Surely there are other better and more efficient ways of maintaining appearances without having to spend four hours every morning in front of a mirror." The man winked once more. "Don't tell her I told you that ok? I do love my wife after all. As long as she's happy y'know?"

"I see." Sasuke nodded sagely. "You're a good man, Haruno Kizashi."

"That's putting it generously." Kizashi said with a wry smile. "If I were truly a good man, I'd help my wife get over her bad habits. Honestly, it's like an addiction. I'm sure if she could be more carefree about her appearance, for example, she'd lead a happier life and not be so stressed all the time. You're quite mature for your age aren't you?"

Sasuke returned the man's smile. "I've seen a lot." He said cryptically.

Naruto examined his teammate carefully. This time around, with Sasuke more team-oriented, maybe things would work out better. Naruto hadn't even done much, but whatever he'd done, it'd caused Sasuke to adopt an entirely new and much more amenable plan than the one he had the first time around. Not only did he do that, Sasuke had gone ahead and nudged Sakura toward the path that Naruto himself had planned to lead her on. In fact, it would've been many times more difficult to do it himself. He was glad Sasuke had done it for him. The girl had always been more inclined to listen to her crush, no matter how much he mistreated her.

Which was sad.

As Kizashi began to tell stories about his life to the three children sitting before him, Naruto gave Sakura a covert glance. The girl was staring down at her lap.

"Hey Sakura."

The girl looked up, and Naruto smiled.

"I'm really glad we got to meet your dad. He's really awesome.. You should invite us over more often, especially after we become a team."

Suddenly seeming to find herself, Sakura glared at him distrustfully "You just want the free food don't you? You're just.. trying to make me like you. Aren't you?"

"Why not?" Naruto shrugged. "I-"

"Honey!" A voice floated out of the kitchen. "I need some help in here! Let Sakura entertain our guests for a while okay?!"

The man smiled, his curly hair bobbing as he stood. "My wife calls! We should be panning out dinner in a bit. I hope you don't mind the wait!"

"Not at all." Sasuke replied. "Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Ah. Kind of you to ask, but you're our guest! We don't have guests very often.. so relax! My wife and I will be right back!"

And then the man was gone, the words "I'm here honey!~" trailing behind him as he waltzed down the hallway toward the kitchen.

"I was being completely serious." Naruto started to say, picking up from where he'd left off. "I'd love to visit again. I do like you. I really like your house. I like your dad. He's really nice, and I bet I'd like your mom too."

"So.. you don't.. _like_ like me anymore?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I do like you. Haven't you been listening to what I've been saying?"

"Naruto! You know what I mean!"

Naruto laughed. Thirteen year old Sakura was just adorable.

"It's not funny!"

"Can I hug you?"

Sakura's eyes widened in mortification. "NO you can't hug me! And here I'd thought you'd become more mature. Looks like you're still nothing at all like Sasuke!"

"Sakura." the aforementioned Uchiha suddenly spoke.

"Yes Sasuke?" Sakura replied sweetly and then grimaced at the flat glare she received from the boy. "I mean.. what is it?" She said in a more normal tone.

"Can I hug you?"

"Sasuke-kun?" The girl blushed, a silly grin growing on her face. "Of course you can!"

"If I can hug you, why can't Naruto do it?"

Was duckface actually speaking for him? Naruto narrowed his eyes. No. Sasuke was probably just picking on Sakura.

"Sasuke, why are you picking on her?"

"I'm not picking on her. I only want to hear her response."

Sakura's face became redder. "Because you're different."

"How so? From the practice we did today, it's clear that Naruto is actually quite accomplished as a Shinobi. Right now you're the one who's different here. Your performance today.. it was extremely disappointing."

"As expected. Nothing gets past my Sasuke-kun!~ Looks like I'll have to start getting serious then!" Sakura replied with false confidence. The way she smiled at Sasuke struck a chord in Naruto's heart. It was a smile that he knew all too well, a smile he himself had worn as a small child in the face of brutal treatment at the hands of other kids, kids who had been warned by their parents to stay away from him. His refusal to remain alone had left him nursing some bruises when he returned to the home that the Third had given him.

He'd smiled, telling himself that he'd enjoyed his time with the other kids, that they were at least paying attention to him. He'd smiled because if he cried, they wouldn't pity him. It would only make him look weak and despicable. Crying was something sad people did, and no one liked to be around sad people.

So he'd smiled.

And here was Sakura, blatantly smiling his smile. It was a sight he'd never thought he'd see again.

"Sakura. You're the top kunoichi of the class. You should be proud of yourself. Don't let Sasuke talk you down, and for gods sake please stop smiling like that."

"There's nothing wrong with smiling." was the girl's curt reply.

"No, but that kind of smile.. that's a lie."

"So? I don't care! Why do you care if I smile or not?!"

"Because that's a smile I used to wear when other kids beat me up. Because it's sad, and if you're not happy, you shouldn't have to pretend to be."

He turned to Sasuke. "I bet you anything Sakura will become one of the best kunoichi in the field." Naruto said confidently. "So you can stop acting like a complete ass and start treating her like a human being."

"Hn. I'll treat her like a human being when she starts acting like one. The way she is now, Haruno Sakura has no value to me."

There was a long moment of silence as they sat in place where Naruto simply glared at his future right-hand man. Sakura on the other hand had gone back to staring at her lap.

Something was wrong with Sasuke. Naruto didn't know what exactly it was that had caused the change, but he knew that it had to do with the changes he'd already made to his character and the way he'd interacted with his teammates so far. He hadn't even done much, how could so much have changed?

A conveniently timed call of "Dinner is done!" from the hallway broke the silence, and suddenly, Sakura's parents were walking in, one carrying a large pot and another carrying several bowls.

"I hope you like hotpot!" The mother said with cheer, all traces of her previous distaste toward one particular guest gone. She began handing out the bowls and a few extra sets of silverware

The father set down the pot in the middle of the table and removed the cover, releasing a pleasant-smelling steam into the air. "Let's eat! I'm starved!"

* * *

"It's been a pleasure." Naruto bowed from the doorway, and, to his side, Sasuke quietly did the same.

"Ah well!" The friendly man in the doorway smiled away his friendly smile. "It's been great having you! Please come again! Sakura get's lonely sometimes."

"Speak for yourself dad!" The girl said from the man's side.

The man laughed. "Well. You two are mature and sensible. I know you'll do her good. My wife and I.. we really don't know much about the Shinobi world, and it scares us that our little girl is so keen on becoming a soldier." The man paused briefly before continuing. "Since you're going to be her teammates, I hope you can take care of her, promise me that whatever happens she'll come back safe."

Naruto nodded. "We will."

"We can't make such a promise." Sasuke appended.

Naruto's eyes flashed toward the Uchiha who seemed unfazed by the suddenly angry look he was receiving.

"The Shinobi world is unpredictable, and death is an integral part of that world. Besides, when it comes to the success of a mission over saving a teammate, the mission is usually what is more important; it's an unspoken rule among us."

Kizashi frowned. "And that's why we were opposed to Sakura's enrollment from the start. What if our daughter were killed while fighting out there? We'd be horrified. It makes me worry about her decision."

"As you well should." Sasuke replied. "If she were just another weakling waiting to be slaughtered, then Sakura may as well quit being a Shinobi."

"But she shouldn't." Naruto interjected heatedly. "Sakura is going to become a great Ninja."

"I hope so." Kizashi smiled wryly. "To be honest, I'm actually quite proud of her."

From inside the house, his wife called loudly. "Dear? What's taking so long? We have matters to discuss!"

The man glimpsed sadly at the two young boys, both seeming too old for their age. It was time to send them off. "Well. I'm very happy to have met Sakura's teammates. Watch out for her alright?"

Naruto nodded. "Goodbye Haruno-san. See you tomorrow Sakura-chan!"

Sakura offered a tentative smile and waved "Bye Sasuke! Bye Naruto!"

The two began walking, the sound of a door being shut with a click echoing out from behind them.

Now to deal with Sasuke. Something had changed about his friend, and Naruto was going to find out what it was. He didn't remember much about the Sasuke of old, but the way the Uchiha was acting most certainly did not match the hateful persona that Naruto had to deal with the first time around.

"Since when did you become so polite?"

The boy scoffed as they tarried down the empty streets leading to the Uchiha Compound. "You're one to talk."

"Yeah well I've always wanted to get along with people. Being polite is an important step in that respect. You on the other hand are an antisocial loner who treats everyone he speaks to like they were dogs begging you for food. Even back in the academy, you made it seem as if speaking to you were a privilege. Gods that really pissed me off!"

"And you call me your friend." Sasuke noted cynically.

"I am your friend. Doesn't mean I can't be mad at you for being an idiot. You've been picking on Sakura all day. If I remember correctly, you usually just ignore her. You'd better have a good reason for being an ass today or I'm beating you so hard, you're going to end up twenty years into the future where you can think of the mistakes you've made this day and regret them."

At this Sasuke smirked. Naruto's eyes narrowed into slits. He hated that expression.

"Tell me, Uzumaki Naruto. If you have such good Chakra control like you showed earlier, why did you intentionally fail the clone-test during the graduation exams?"

"I didn't." He answered truthfully

"I see." Their pace slowed. "And tell me. If you cared about people and wanted to make friends so much, why did you act in a way that made you so socially reprehensible back at the Academy?"

"I didn't know at the time. Why are you interrogating me?!" Naruto cried indignantly. "I should be interrogating you!"

"I'm interrogating you because your behavior is off. You're not the Naruto everyone knows. If you were, you wouldn't have understood half the questions I've asked you solely by nature of your worthlessly small-"

"Oh look! A black cat!" Naruto interrupted pointing up to a distant wall.

"There is no cat."

"I could've sworn I saw one. Anyway, you were saying? My worthlessly small _.._?"

"You're kidding me.." Sasuke let his eyes roam the dark skies.

"What was that? My worthlessly small what now?"

"Your level of vocabulary." Sasuke continued, figuring that it was better to just act like the blonde idiot hadn't just tried to make a childish quip. "Before today, it was the same as that of an average eight year old kid. Face it. Not too long ago, you were a genuine idiot. Some kind of change happened, and it happened when that chalkboard eraser fell on Kakashi's head."

And there was that smirk again. For reasons unknown, Naruto had a sudden urge to wipe that smirk off on the surface of his knuckles. With great control, he smothered that urge down. Sasuke was like a bomb. One wrong word and he could return to the brooding bastard that he'd been. Really, it'd been easier when he'd been more willing to just punch the Uchiha's face out. In hindsight, it had been the most effective tool when it came to turning the Uchiha to his side. His years of collaboration and friendship with the man that the boy had become, however, had made him soft. He couldn't do this to his friend. Besides, it'd make him a hypocrite. Hadn't he been thinking just this afternoon that smashing someone in the face was an unacceptable social response? He hadn't been Hokage for nothing. If anything, Naruto knew how to deal with people and to convince them with words, and he would do so, particularly when there was no need for unnecessary violence. _Of all the people to have figured it out, it had to be Sasuke._

"If I'm not the Naruto you know, then who do you think I am?"

"Who do I think-? Naruto. Let me repeat your words from earlier today." Sasuke's voice dropped into a painful monotone. "' _Fuck you Sasuke. This isn't funny. You're away from the village all the time, right? How would you feel if I made you suddenly go back in time when you're about to fuck Sakura? That's how I'm feeling right now._ '"

He didn't think Sasuke would remember that, but now that he thought about it, there was no reason he shouldn't. His friend had always possessed an unusually high quality of memory-retention even into adulthood. Naruto grimaced, Why did he have to go and shout those things aloud again? He could've done it later back in his own apartment. What had he been thinking?

"I'd say you came from the future." The Uchiha concluded. "You're painfully bad at hiding it."

Naruto put a finger to his lips, staring up at the very realistic looking wisps of clouds as he accepted the discovery. It wasn't like having other people stumble upon the truth was necessarily _bad_ or anything. He'd just wished he could've reveled in this illusory world and enjoyed reliving these memories for a short while longer without his identity being revealed. It was something he'd wanted to hold off for a few months, if the Illusion even lasted that long. He'd been in no hurry. The Chuunin Exams were half a year away. It'd only been what? Four hours since he'd been transported to this weird dimension? Did he seriously already blow his cover in such a short span of time?!

"What other tells did I give?"

"Your introduction today was a blatant jest at Kakashi's character. Your complete reversal when it came to Sakura was also extremely obvious. In fact, I'm 100% certain that Kakashi's realized the same on both counts."

Naruto swore.

"And you don't swear, at least not yet anyway. When'd you pick that up?"

The blonde riffled a hand through his hair sheepishly. "When my son first discovered what pranks were. You should've seen him. He makes me so proud, but sometimes.. well getting pranked really sucks."

"I see." Sasuke started to walk slowly, and Naruto ambled thoughtfully to his side. What was he going to tell Sasuke about Itachi?

"You say in the future, I'm away from the village all the time?"

"Yeah. You're like an international peacekeeper of sorts and my righthand man, basically my equivalent of Danzo, which is really ironic, but you wouldn't really know about that.. at least not yet. We communicated through written messages and summons."

The Uchiha Compound was close now. Naruto was familiar with these streets.

Sasuke stared off into the distance in what seemed a look of contemplation. "And about me.. fucking Sakura?"

Naruto grinned. Asking the pertinent questions now was he? He'd always thought Sasuke to be something of a prude. If anything, he'd expected the Uchiha to ask about his brother first and foremost. Perhaps he was wrong about his friend.

"You two get married in the future."

"And we have offspring?"

Strangely, there was no surprise in his voice. He'd probably brooded this over the entire afternoon, and had probably come to terms with the obvious conclusion of marriage. What other conclusion could a boy possibly draw when he hears about having sex with a girl in the future?

"Yeah. Her name is Sarada. Uchiha Sarada. You left the village a year after she was born and Sakura had to raise Sarada on her own for ten whole years. You're a complete bastard you know that? Honestly, you're lucky to have Sakura. She stuck with you no matter how badly you treated her. You dumped her, called her useless, you even tried to kill her. Ten years! You should be glad she didn't cheat on you! You don't deserve her patience and she definitely doesn't owe it to you."

"Yeah.. I most certainly didn't." Sasuke smiled sadly as they stopped one final time at the gates into the Uchiha complex. "See you tomorrow for the bell-test."

"Wait!" Naruto called to his retreating friend. "Don't you want to know what happens to your brother?!"

"It's obvious isn't it?" Sasuke stopped, his feet casting small flickering shadows in the pale lamplight. "I killed him."

Naruto stared numbly at his teammate. He understood now. He finally understood why Sasuke had been so accepting. Knowing that he'd been in a romantic relationship in the future, Sasuke must have figured that he'd succeeded in his goal of avenging his family. There was no way he'd engage in things like marriage until his main goal had been achieved. In other words, having heard Naruto's earlier outburst, the Uchiha must have realized that his ambition, to kill Itachi, had succeeded. With that knowledge, his attempts to improve Sakura's character and make a good impression on her family made sense. With his future secured, the avenger was now investing in other things.. like continuing his family line.

"Sasuke. I'm going to tell you now, since you deserve to know.. you will regret killing your brother. In fact, it'll be the biggest regret of your life, second only to betraying the village."

"I know."

"No you don't. You can't possibly know. Sasuke. Everything your brother has done.. he was only following orders. He's a good man, and a Leaf-nin through and through. If I can stop you from-"

"Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke interrupted. "I was wrong. You haven't changed at all. You're still a genuine idiot, even with twenty extra years added to your idiot brain."

"Sasuke listen to me-"

"Lord Seventh. How dense can you possibly be?"

Naruto felt his breath leave him. _Lord Seventh_. Now that was a name he did not expect to hear. How could Sasuke possibly know? How could he know that he'd become the _Seventh_ Hokage specifically. He was _sure_ he hadn't told him. And then it suddenly made sense. He _knew_ there was something wrong with Sasuke, and he had drawn all the wrong conclusions. How could he have missed something so obvious? The bastard had been dropping hints on him since the outset!

Recovering from the stunning revelation, Naruto strode up to his friend, a bright smile lighting his face. "Sasuke. It's nice to see that I'm not alone. Why didn't you just tell me earlier? You could've made things so much easier for me. I felt like I was walking on a field of explosive tags just talking to you, never knowing what would set you back into avenger-mode. I'm _so_ glad. Gods it's been a while hasn't it?"

Sasuke smirked. "Took you long enough."

The same fist that had shattered an Academy desk into a million splinters only a few hours before suddenly plowed through the air, and the smirk vanished into a scowl and a broken nose.

* * *

Obligatory Author's Note (O/A/N): I've noticed that I often feel obligated to do these little slice of life scenes in my stories and I know that sometimes they get a bit tedious. Hopefully it wasn't too bad.

And now a blatant promotion: A World Full of Monsters by fahad09 is, in my opinion, the best Naruto fanfic ever written. I gushed all over the author. Such a great story uuuuwwwhhhh. His depiction of the Narutoverse is simply the best! It makes me want to squeal like the fanboy I am; it's so well written! I can't stop gushing! XD


	4. Chapter 4

Finals week. Projects. Assignments. Next week. All nighters. Caffeine. Mmm.

* * *

"You know. I'm not even mad. Not about the fact that you were messing with me for the last four hours. I can understand that. Hell, I can even accept that you ruined my perfect evening with my wife. I've pranked you so many times in the past, it was only fair you paid me back by sticking me in a damned Illusion at the worst possible time y'know? But _goddamnit_ if I see you treat your wife like garbage again, I _will_ make you regret it. I _swear_."

The Uchiha coughed as his broken nose deposited copious dribbles of blood into his mouth. With a painful crack, he reset the damaged appendage.

"You're going to justify your behavior towards Sakura or gods forbid, Uchiha Sasuke, I will make sure that you never touch her again. She doesn't deserve all those years of suffering that you put her through, so you'd better show me why you deserve her."

Sasuke growled. "Naruto. She's _my_ wife and this is _my_ family. Not yours."

"And she's _my_ friend." Naruto took a calming breath. "She visits us sometimes you know that? She visits our family. She'd ask me about you, what you were doing, and whether or not you're doing ok since I'm the only one who you communicate with. She talks about you, talking about what she'd do when you got back. You know she has admirers too right? You know what some of them tell her? Some of them tell her that you don't care about her, and I'm starting to think that they were right. She tells us these things you know? She tells us how she wished Sarada could've had a father by her side growing up. She tells Hinata how empty she feels at night sometimes, how much she misses you. She's even taken up reading Icha Icha. Can you imagine that?! And she does miss you. She cares about you so much, I'd bet she'd be willing to wait the rest of her life for you. It hurts just watching her go on like that, and now you're treating like.. like you couldn't give two shits whether or not she were _dead_. Honestly, that's what's pissing me off more than anything else. What's worse, watching you treat her like trash today, I almost felt it was ok since that was what you were like the first time. You didn't know any better. But you're not thirteen years old Sasuke. I shouldn't have to fix you. You _do_ know better, so _why?!_ Why was it so hard to bring your sorry ass back to the village to visit your family like I asked you to?!"

Naruto's fists clenched and unclenched. Finally having been able to unload his years of grievance on the subject, he felt slightly drained.

Sasuke smiled, the expression looking extremely uncharacteristic of his thirteen year old face. It was too genuine, a smile that he didn't start to wear until after the Fourth Shinobi war and even then only rarely was he ever caught smiling so openly.

"Thank you,"

Naruto narrowed his eyes. If pretty-boy thought he could get away with being flattering, then he was mistaken.

"Thank you." Sasuke continued. "For being there for her while I was gone. Thank you for being her friend- my friend. Thank you for caring about us."

"Heh." Naruto smirked in imitation of his friend's signature facial expression. "Don't think I'm gonna let you off the hook just for that."

"No. If anything, I deserved to hear you admonish me, and I can see why you would be so angry." Sasuke shook his head, smile still on his face. "I was wrong. I should've come back more often, but everything I've done so far has been for her benefit."

"Oh you have an explanation? Let's hear it."

Sasuke took a breath as if ready to brave a storm. "Why do you think Sakura pushed herself so hard to become the medic that she was?"

"It was one of her dreams." Naruto replied promptly. "Her pride in herself and her abilities. She became a medic because it's what she was good at. It was the best way she could contribute to our team and this village. She was right. Your wife's skills in Iryoninjutsu and her Chakra control are insane."

"And what do you think first got her started?"

Clearly this was a loaded question and Sasuke was expecting a certain answer. "Her drive to succeed."

"Yes, but where did that drive come from? Naruto, _think_. Look back for a moment."

"Just tell me what you want to say."

"She realized how useless she was to the team, and decided that she needed to become better. You have to admit, part of it was also how much I looked down on her. She hated that, but that was what drove her. I'm only providing that same drive earlier. It's the best way to help her become the kunoichi that she was able to become in the future."

Sasuke looked uncertainly at his Hokage. The boy - the man - stared at him strangely, prompting him to continue. "It's the same with your wife. Hyuuga Hinata would not have become who she was if you weren't there to encourage her almost every step of the way."

"Wait.." Naruto murmured. "What do you mean?"

"What I means is that in order for our wives to become who they were, they need to go through the same or similar set of experiences. That's the best way-"

" _No_. I mean what do you mean _help_ her become the person she was in the future?"

Sasuke sighed in exasperation. "Are you stupid?!"

"Sasuke.. if this is an Illusion, why bother? They're not real anyway."

"Naruto. What makes you think this is an Illusion?"

"What do you mean what makes me think this is an Illusion? This is a prank isn't it?" Naruto's breathing slowed as he received a queer look. Something in his mind cracked, like someone had taken a blunt weapon and smashed it over his skull. It was disorienting. What? That couldn't be true..  
"Aha you're funny Sasuke. Taking the prank to the next level. I didn't think you had it in you. You can quit joking now."

Sasuke shivered at the sound of his friend's strange laughter, and a cluster of goosebumps began to rise on his skin. "Naruto.. this isn't a prank. I gave the Sage of Six Paths back the Sharinnegan. He's the one who brought us back."

"You're fucking kidding me."

"This is our chance to make a difference. We can save my brother and so many other people."

It had been very subtle, the cold feeling that'd slithered into the air. He'd almost mistaken it for something else.

It was definitely killing intent - not as strong as the KI that the Nine-tails itself exuded, but it was damned close. If Sasuke had been the age he was supposed to be at, his mind would've assuredly shut down in fear at the sheer concentration being directed at him. As he was, the crippling aura of death merely triggered his defense mechanism, causing his body to pump itself full of adrenaline as it readied for combat. With a grim countenance, he maintained his vision on the furious child - the man - before him.

He did feel a little guilty about making Naruto lose what sounded like a really nice last evening with his wife, but such a loss was trivial in the long run. It most certainly didn't deserve the anger that was being directed toward him. If anything, Naruto should be glad for the chance to prevent the deaths of all the people that had died in his past life. Like Neji or Jiraiya.

"You killed my children.."

"Your children?! I'm not even going to get into how you can think this world to be an illusion while acting like it was not the entire time. Your children aren't even born yet. How can I have killed them? You're being ridiculous."

"Sasuke."

"You need to calm down and think."

"I'm going to rip out one of your toes and shove it into your ear."

"..what?"

* * *

 _Finally_. After all these years!

 _Patience!_ He chided himself. He'd only been waiting what? A hundred years? What was twelve more years to that? A snippet of time not even worth mentioning. He was _thousands_ of years old. What really annoyed him wasn't the passage of time. At least not that much. What he couldn't understand was the way the kid kept trying cater to the people who hated him, despised him, shunned him, and mistreated him.. really it was quite shocking. The way the villagers made the kid's life so miserable, he'd almost wanted to dance with how lucky he was to have been put with a jailer that was basically guaranteed to snap.

It was just his damned luck that his jailer just had to be the most god-awful ingratiating little brat to have ever been born on the face of the Earth.

He'd thought the kid would've snapped long ago, and he'd never been more wrong.

The kid's disgusting and pitiful desire for those insects to like and acknowledge him had blinded him from whatever anger he should've felt at their mistreatment. Seriously. The kid was a blazing idiot, and that was saying a lot. His last thousand years of existence had shown him quite a lot of blazing idiots. More than once, some of those idiots had sought him with puny swords in hand, looking to slay him for glory or some other nonsense. Most of those idiots he'd burnt to crisps with a mere flick of his fingers. They hadn't even been worth his time. He was the most powerful of the nine tailed beasts. What in hell had they expected?

If there was one idiot who he really wanted to set blazing though, it was the one who'd created the bullshit seal that was holding him inside the body of his current jailer.

His name was Namikaze Minato, the man who'd held the title of the Hidden Leaf's Fourth Hokage. That particular idiot spent twelve years of his life completely oblivious to his previous jailer's obvious intentions despite having been close to her for nearly two decades. It was ridiculous. In fact, it wasn't until the girl was right on top of him before he'd finally realized that _maybe_ she might have wanted to be more than just friends.. _possibly_.

To think that such an idiot had been the one responsible for his current incarceration.. it was almost unbearable.

The redhead that he'd inhabited hadn't been any better either. For some stupid romantic reasons, the girl had wanted for that idiot to make the first move. She'd ended up waiting about twelve years before finally half-raping him into submission. The Yellow Flash should've been called the blonde dumbass instead; the idiot had tried to politely leave after his wife-to-be had all but confessed to him. What a laugh.

It was so funny, he would have laughed if he hadn't had hundreds of chains lancing through him, hanging him balled up inside a metaphysical prison - a prison which manifested as part of a seal that the Fourth and his previous jailer had constructed together.

Seals were complete bullshit. A person could apparently break the physical laws of the world, travel through space time, and constrain ridiculously powerful, god-like creatures with a few simple ink markings.

Bull. Fucking. Shit.

In that regard, the Sharingan was just as much of an ass-pull as the thrice-accursed seals that he seemed never have been able to escape from. If the universe in which he existed had been anything less than bullshit, then the name of the Nine-tailed Fox would have held a hundred times the terror that it currently did. As it was, he, the great Nine-tailed Fox himself, was constantly being beaten and tied down by singular and very bullshit mechanisms like the Sharingan. A single look from those eyes had the power to magically turn him into an Uchiha puppet.

It made him angry beyond words.

It was almost as if some shit-eating writer had created some fictional Deus ex Machina solely to fuck with him.

And now he was stuck here, inside a seal, waiting for his jailer's temper to crack just enough for him to filter some of his demonic Chakra through the holes and weaken the seal just a little bit each time. If he hadn't had thousands of years to learn patience, he was sure he would've gone insane many times over. In fact, maybe he already was insane and didn't know it yet.

All he knew was that his jailer had finally gone over the deep end over some kind of time-traveling delusion.

It wouldn't be the first time someone had tried something like this. He remembered a time in the distant past when some man had requested his help to power some kind of device. That man had said something about being from the moon. What did they take him for, an idiot? The moon could not support human life! Preposterous! It was impossible no matter which way he looked at it. Just another blazing idiot in the long line of blazing idiots and bullshit that he'd had to deal with over the course of his life.

Drawing on the thick miasma of anger and what little control it afforded him, he summoned the boy to the cage. It would be their first meeting since that night twelve years ago. He'd had this meeting planned down to the very last detail. Present himself first as an incredibly powerful and intimidating being who wouldn't have any qualms crushing a twelve year old child under his paws like a fly between human fingers. Second, offer the kid power. Third, don't tell the kid about the fact that he was weakening the seal every time he did it. Sounds simple enough.

As he felt the boy recede into this mindscape, he quickly shut off the Chakra that he emitted. It was no easy task; he had so much of it and in such thick volumes that he couldn't help but exude it even from within the seal. Still, it was enough to shroud the cage area into darkness.

It was into that darkness that the kid would arrive, confused, angry and probably scared. Some killing intent would probably help too.

There was a small splash in the darkness as the boy landed somewhere on the other side of the cage. Perfect. Now to just let the boy wander around for a few seconds before he made his entrance.

There was silence, the boy not even making a sound. Probably too scared to even squeak. The timing couldn't have been any more perfect. With all his considerable size, he slammed into the cage that kept his claws from closing around the little insect in his domain. To add to the effect, he let his Chakra flare into life in all its blazing glory right at the point of contact.

" **BRAT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE?!"**

The entire mindscape shook, causing him to inwardly wince. He really hoped some of those pipes above didn't start leaking again. Sometimes, there was so much Chakra being circulated that it would start leaking from little places. If he had to listen to another decade of that dripping sound again, he _would_ go insane. Good thing the brat had grown into the Chakra that he carried.

Receiving no response from his earlier intro, he snarled to add to the effect. " **If it weren't for these cages between you and me, I'd tear you limb from limb, bone from bone like the weak little brat that you are**."

He smiled his creepiest smile, baring all his sharp teeth for the boy to see. And still. He received no response. Either the kid had been scared stupid or he had some serious guts.

Suddenly, the kid flopped down onto the surface of the water and put his face into his palms. "So you too huh? I don't know why I didn't check in here first. I would've known immediately."

The Fox thundered his paws into the cage again. If the kid wasn't going to be scared, fine. He might as well carry through with the rest of the plan since he'd already gotten this far. " **I know how you feel about that Uchiha. He thinks he's better than you, always acting like he's the absolute best thing that's happened to anyone who even looked at him.** "

The boy sighed, encouraging the Fox to continue.

" **Well I'm willing to help you. I can give you power beyond anything you've imagined. With that power, you can show that Uchiha brat just how worthless he is.** "

After he finished speaking, the brat stood and stretched. "If I'm really stuck here, I guess I might as well do everything right!"

The brat was.. ignoring him. He snarled again. " **Don't think you're going to get many chances like this from me. I'm only helping you now because I absolutely** _ **despise**_ **the Uchiha and their cursed Sharingan.** "

"Ah yeah I know. That Uchiha Madara was a right bastard wasn't he?"

" **You dare speak like you know me! I will tear you to shreds!** "

And then, the kid laughed. _Laughed!_ At him! The most powerful of Bijuu!

" **You think you can look down on me brat?** _ **Me?!**_ **The Nine-tailed Fox?! Don't get so full of yourself! If it weren't for this cage, you'd be nothing but dust before me!** "

"Sorry. Sorry. It's just that I haven't heard you threatening me like that in years since we were.. well since now."

This time, it was his turn to laugh. The brat was playing it through all the way to the end wasn't he? " **So you're trying to sell this stupid time-travel bullshit on me too huh?** "

"Well.." The blonde ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "I don't quite believe it either. I still think Sasuke might be trolling me, but yeah I guess I _am_ trying to sell you this stupid time-travel bullshit."

" **If you're not going to accept my offer then GET OUT OF HERE!** "

With that, he kicked the boy out of the mindscape.

Or.. at least he thought he did.

With another brief exertion of power, he punted the brat's consciousness out of the seal.

Releasing a silent but very long breath, he glared at the little insect that refused to be blown away.

That was it. He was going to show the boy who owned the place. With as much power as he was willing to muster, he sent the boy rocketing out into the conscious world, out of his domain.

"You know.. I'm going to have fun getting you to tell me your name again, but how about I introduce myself first?"

With all his efforts foiled, the Fox could only watch as the kid smiled and seemed to offer a hand for him to shake.. as if the Nine-tailed Fox had hands to do so.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Pleased to meetcha!"

The Fox let his massive glowing pupils stay on the small figure for one more brief moment. Then, silently, he slunk back into the darker regions of his cage to nurse his wounded pride.

This was bullshit. The entire experience and this friendly brat.. all of it. He was the Nine-tailed Fox, considered to be one of the world's worst natural disasters.

And there the brat was, with his usual lack of vindictiveness, acting like they could be friends. What a joke. His jailer was probably trying to use the pretext of time travel to get close to him. He'd lived too long to let himself be so gullible. He would admit to insanity before he even entertained that possibility.

There'd been enough bullshit in the last hundred years to last him several lifetimes already. He didn't need any more of it. Perhaps if he shut his mind down and took a nap, the world might start to actually make some sort of sense again, like it used to.

"It took me four years of my life to finally get you to stop acting like that, and even then, it was a bit hard at times. I know you can get pretty lonely, but once we connect with the others, I think you'll be happier. You're my friend, and you've helped me through some of the roughest times in my life so even if you're like this, I won't give up on you."

Maybe he'd lay off the hatred for a few hundred years. Clearly, it wasn't doing his sanity any good. Hopefully, his brethren were suffering like he was; Shukaku, at least, had already lost his mind. That was good.

"I guess I'll talk to you later then. I'll be back. I promise."

He snorted. The way the puny little thing was pretending to be friendly was honestly the most disgusting act he'd ever seen in his long, long life. Humans were all the same. Behind their smiles and their talk, they were all nasty creatures, seeking power for themselves and looking down on everything that opposed them.

* * *

The idea of having one of his toes stuck into his ear wasn't very appealing. It did make him curious though. Of all the threats that could've been made, why that one? Sticking a finger in his ear, he tested the sensation as he waited for his friend to come out of his mindscape.

Naruto's eyes suddenly flickered into focus.

Sasuke quickly dropped his hand to his side as his friend began to speak.

"If we're changing things, then we're doing everything _perfectly_. And I mean not one single mistake."

"Of course." He replied promptly.

"That'll be all. I'm going to go see how my wife is doing. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Oh and bring breakfast for two. You'll be sharing one. Hokage's orders."

Naruto paused for a moment to think of any other issue that he might want to talk about. Finding none, he readied to leave. There was one person he really wanted to see right now and it wasn't Uchiha Sasuke. With a flip, he landed on the reaches of a nearby lamppost.

"She's _my_ wife, Naruto!"

"Yeah? And she's _my_ friend! Deal with it!"

* * *

Author's Note: Hmmm. I'm feeling a little strange.


	5. Chapter 5

Oh how happy I'd be, if I could sing and dance shamelessly wherever I go; I do love a good jig and a tune. But alas, shame wins every time. :(

* * *

"Congratulations." The voice said in a tone which did not match the word being uttered. The man could have been describing the blank wall behind her with that tone. She didn't blame him, and the formality of the occasion only put her mind to other things.

"Thank you." She muttered demurely.

"Do not think that your regimen here will lessen with your new position under the supervision of another. Until I find your performance satisfactory, you will put your all into everything your Jonin leader expects of you and more."

"Of course, father." She said stiffly, keeping her eyes all the while locked onto those matching set of blank, pupiless eyes.

The man nodded, his face set with dissatisfaction. "It will only become more difficult from hereon forth. Your time under the leadership of Yuuhi Kurenai will both define your career as a Shinobi and your reputation. Your every move will have a direct impact on the family name."

"Yes father." She spoke into the proceeding silence. The gaze she was receiving made her want to shrink into the floor, but she could not look away. That would only make things worse. It would make her look weak.

The man paced to the other side of the room. "You will not shame your family. You will not shame me. You are the future clan head. It is time you started acting your part." He raised a palm and settled into one of the Juuken's traditional stances. "Come."

She swallowed briefly. And settled into her own stance. Her father watched her expectantly, her every move being scrutinized under his watchful eye.

Breathing steady, she rushed forward, knowing already the result of her actions. It was the same every time. Now that she'd made the rank of Genin, the frequency of these sessions would undoubtedly increase. Racing across the mats with a cry, she began the first of a series of quick strikes, only to have her wrists snapped down on the first strike followed by a hard palm strike into her chest.

The air rushed out of her lungs and she fell to the floor.

"Again." The voice said in that same flat tone. Even with all his attempts at moderating his voice, she could still make out that undercurrent of disappointment which ran beneath those impassive eyes as they creased into active form.

She bounced to her feet and rushed forward once more in an attempt to strike the larger man's vitals.

Again her wrist was cleft painfully out of the air and again, a palm struck her in the chest, leaving her winded.

"Again."

She stood to her feet, doing her best to refuse the cough of air that her lungs almost demanded her to expel. It would be a sign of weakness. Pushing Chakra throughout her body and limbs, she blurred forward, pushing a finger toward one of the 361 Chakra pressure points that she knew was on the man's body. This time, her hand was merely deflected without the follow-up strike to her chest, allowing her to repeat with several more strikes of her own. As she was being parried, an opening presented itself to the man's heart.

A strike to the correct pressure point over the heart, if done correctly, could leave a person either crippled in agony or dead, depending on the person's vitality. She couldn't imagine her father writhing like that. Letting her Chakra recede from her fingertips, she hit the opening and was immediately sent flying back by a similar blow.

The pain spread throughout her chest. Her heart felt tight, like they were being squeezed by a hot-iron grip. Her chest was exploding and there was nothing she could do but lay with a hand over it, coughing and gasping and praying silently for the pain to stop.

"Again."

Hearing the words, she struggled to rise, gasping against the agony in her chest, and settled into the traditional stance.

"In the world of Shinobi, you would be cut down instantly. You are weak, very weak. Sparing the enemy is the same as offering your head." Finally, the irritation began to filter in through the voice. "This is no child's game! Come at me with the intent to kill. You will not survive as you are now. Again!"

She released a papery breath as the pain subsided into a numb ache. Only a minute into what usually was an hour-long training session, her body was already begging her to quit. Her father had raised the standard for this session, and she was having a hard time keeping up.

"You are wasting time. Again!"

Eyes focused and Byakugan active, she ran toward her father, palms open and ready to deliver a strike at whatever opening it could reach. Before she could even get in range for her shorter arms to land a hit however, the man shot his arm forward and stabbed the same pressure point over her heart that had been hit earlier.

She crumpled, only just barely biting back a scream of agony. She lay in a heap, the pain blurring her vision. Distantly, she could hear her father's voice in her ears.

"Again!" It said.

She struggled to stand, and her mind screamed at her to stop. It told her to just lay there and give up. She needed rest. This level of training was beyond her, and the pain was something her mind would not be able to stand. But the session was long from over, and if she asked to quit now, her father would be disappointed. He would let her go, of course. She was under no obligation to undergo his training, but the look she received from him, that look that told her how utterly worthless he thought her to be, was something she desperately didn't want to see again.

Moving forward sluggishly, she somehow managed to maintain her form and was swiftly knocked off her feet.

"Again."

She rose to her feet shakily, and her mind screamed at her once more, asking her what she was doing, telling her to not take another step forward.

She knew that it would only give her more pain, and that eventually, she wouldn't be able to take any more of it. She would collapse. Even if not now, she would give up in ten or twenty minutes after maybe half a hundred or so more tries. If things continued the way they were going, then she would definitely fall in that time. It wouldn't even be half the time of a normal session, and her father would be just as disappointed if she gave up then as he would if she gave up now. _It makes sense_ , her mind reasoned desperately, _give up now, spare yourself the pain_

 _But that's not what he would do._ She reasoned back. No matter how much the other children despised him, he'd keep coming back to try again. No matter how many times he was left bloodied on the ground by the others, he'd still go up to them the next day, bravely asking again for the friendship that he knew he would not get. No matter how hard he was pushed, he would always rise against everything. He never stopped, even when he was in pain, even when the world seemed to be standing against him. That was who he was.

Even if she gave up now, she would be expected to come back tomorrow and the day after. Again and again and again and again. If she stopped now, what was to keep her from doing the same in the future? How would she ever progress?

With her heart clammering hurtfully against her chest, she settled her arms into position once more and stepped forward toward inevitable defeat.

Because that was what he would've done.

* * *

Sometimes it was so easy to blame her. To look at her weaknesses and pin all the fault onto her person for the death of her mother. Of course, that wasn't fair to her. The clan's dissent against his choice of marriage partner was something he had been very well aware of. The woman he'd made his wife wasn't the woman they'd wanted him to marry. She was unremarkable they said. The children she'd give him would fail to live up to the prowess that had come to be expected of prospective clan heads. He'd promised, he'd _swore_ that the children his wife bore would fulfill all their expectations. It was the only reason his father, the previous clan head, had ultimately allowed the marriage.

Hyuuga Hinata had failed him. She'd failed the clan's expectations and the hopes of her parents. By the time the girl's younger sister had been born, the faith his father and the other elders had placed on him had waned. Hinata's skills were nowhere near the standards that were expected of her. They hadn't even bothered to wait for Hanabi to grow up to test her. To them, the moment Hinata delivered below average performance was the moment they'd lost faith in his words on the matter.

It was so easy to blame his first daughter. Her weakness and her inability to become what he'd promised of her had been the trigger for the tragedy that was to come.

Of course, he had no evidence. His father had offered him condolences with blank eyes and a flat voice. The elders were no different. It was then he'd realize how foolish he had been. A part of him had thought himself invulnerable to clan politics; becoming clan head had made him arrogant. In the end, for all his political prowess within the clan, he had been powerless to save the people he loved. He'd naively kept his wife by his side, and his naivete had been her downfall.

And so as he looked down at the prone figure of the thirteen year old girl he called daughter, he couldn't help but feel resentment. She was so weak. It had all been her fault. If only she were stronger.

It was long past time to end the session. He'd spent over an hour training her, and yet she was still the same. Weak. So weak. So incredibly weak.

"Again!"

The girl stood. Despite having been all but crippled, she trembled to her feet on her frail little legs. Hyuuga Hiashi's lips curved into an ugly sneer. Something inside him wanted her to yield, to beg him to stop. He wanted her to admit to her weakness. If she hadn't been strong then, why bother with being strong now? Her body must be wracked in pain at this point. It must be telling her to quit. She gained nothing from doing it, so why? Why does she stand?!

Maybe she knew. Maybe what kept her standing time and again was the fact that if she'd explicitly asked him for mercy, he would've had the excuse he'd needed to remove her right as the next clan head. Heavens knew Hanabi was the better of the two sisters. He immediately let that theory fall to the wayside. Hinata didn't want power, that much was clear. She'd probably be happy just being a member of the branch family. Removing her position as the next clan head would be just what she'd wish for.

He gave his eldest daughter one last look of disapproval. This was pointless. He would try again tomorrow. If she didn't crack now, surely she would tomorrow. And if not, then the day after that. Letting his hands fall, he gave his eldest daughter a curt nod. "That will be all for today. We shall resume practice tomorrow at 7 in the evening sharp. Do you understand?"

The girl looked him in the eye in one mechanic motion, "Yes father." She droned weakly.

With another nod, he left the dojo. He couldn't bare look on her face. Even as one side of him despised her, another side couldn't help but feel guilty. He was venting his grief on his own daughter. It wasn't her fault that she wasn't born a genius. It wasn't her fault that she couldn't control what she inherited from her parents. If only her cousin Neji, the Hyuuga prodigy, had been born to him instead of his deceased twin brother.

He spotted Hinata's attendant standing outside. The man seemed worried, as if itching to get inside the dojo, but he wouldn't do so without first observing the formalities that was expected of him as a branch member.

"Hiashi-sama." The man bowed.

"Ko." He said in a commanding voice. "Take her to her bed." With his words spoken, the leader of the Hyuuga clan left the premises.

Ko ran into the dojo, his steps quickening at the sight of her deadened expression. The girl took one look at him, collapsed onto the mats and moved no more.

"Hinata-sama!" He knelt forward swiftly, his Byakugan active again to check her vitals. He'd watched her throughout the entire session, as was his duty. The way the girl had unfailingly and unflinchingly risen against the terrible trial that her father had put her through was enough to almost break his heart. In fact, what her father had done to her today couldn't even be called training. He'd taught her nothing, merely attacking her, beating her to the floor and making her get up to be broken down all over again. He couldn't imagine why his leader would do such a thing. Hinata was such a sweet girl.

Of course, as a branch house member, his opinion on how Hinata should be raised did not matter. If he had his way, Hinata would be raised like a normal girl. She would attend a civilian school and learn a docile craft. True her skills in the clan's techniques did not exceed those of her cousin's, but at least she was better than the average Hyuuga. In a year or two, she would be better than even Ko himself. Whatever skills she had, however, were not enough. Not for her father.

He circulated Chakra carefully into his palm to do what he could to temporarily ease some of the damage and pain that had been done to his charge's body. Then, slipping the girl onto his back, he walked out into the evening air. It was at times like these that he didn't envy those born to the main house. The leader Hiashi himself must've endured the same regimen in his youth. Why else would he be willing to put his own daughter through such harsh training?

"Ko." A soft voice emitted gently from right beside his ear, disrupting his musings.

"Hinata-sama. You shouldn't push yourself so much."

The girl rested quietly on his back, not saying a word. He sighed.

"A good Shinobi knows her limits. If you can't go on any further, you should tell your father."

"I know." Hinata hummed quietly in response and said no more. For some reason, Ko felt as if his words weren't getting through to her. Tomorrow evening would be the same. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all. Hopefully his premonition was wrong and tomorrow would be different.

They moved into a small room decorated sparsely with a simple bed, flowers, a few pieces of equipment and books. Treading silently toward the bed, Ko slowly let Hinata fall from his back and into the waiting mattress. The girl winced visibly.

"It'll take me a while, but let me heal you before I go." He whispered, and the girl nodded.

Resuming the previous procedure he'd performed in the dojo, Ko ran a glowing green palm over the damaged areas on the girl's body.

Luckily, her father had avoided strikes which would have caused her permanent damage, else the healing would've been much more difficult and much less effective.

Even with things made easier, the girl still fell asleep long before he finished the healing process. Finally, when all the internal wounds had been healed up to the best of his abilities, Ko let the green glow in his palms vanish. Lifting that palm further up, he brushed a hand through his charge's soft hair. In a few years, Hinata would grow to become quite beautiful.

He briefly entertained and then discarded that notion. A member of the branch family such as himself would never be given such an opportunity. His abilities were nowhere near that of one who would be fitted to marrying a member of the main family, neither did he have any political connections or power associated with his name.

Still, maybe if he kept by her side, eventually she'd notice him as the man who'd stayed with her throughout the years and helped her grow. Realizing such, she would be filled with gratitude and, perhaps, love at his dedication. He could already see her, all grown up and looking at him in adoration and gratitude, finally noticing what a man her attendant had been. The clan would refuse of course. He lacked any sort of qualification to marry her. But their love would endure. They could elope against the will of the entire clan, risking their lives for a better future together, a future in which they could be happy.

Snapping to his feet, Ko quickly left the room. What was he _thinking?!_ He'd been spending _far_ too much of his free time reading romantic novels. Someone who could be considered common fodder like him had no place thinking such thoughts. Even if he'd wanted to, odds were any attempts at something like eloping with the main branch's successor would result in him getting caught and swiftly executed. Only the hero characters, the ones endowed with overwhelming power over their peers, could successfully pull such a stunt.

And realistically, Ko was far from a hero character. Besides, he didn't really have romantic feelings for the girl. It was merely an idle thought which his imagination had drawn out beyond reasonable bounds.

No. Hyuuga Hinata was merely his charge and he was her attendant. That was the extent of their relationship, nothing more. If anything, he thought of himself more as her friendly chaperone than a potential lover.

Was it normal to have such thoughts about 13 year old girls?

Perhaps it was time for him to find himself a wife and stop fantasizing about the women that he'd never get. He'd been of marriageable age for far too long.

Ko returned to his own room feeling tired. Being a bachelor sucked.

* * *

He sat cross-legged at the foot of her bed. She looked so young, but the resemblance was there. There was no doubt about it. This was the girl who would grow up to become the wife that he knew, at least physically. She was the same person yet at the same time, she was someone else entirely. The memories she'd held of him were gone forever, lost in the recesses of time. Their first date, their first kiss, their first time, their first child, the joys of parenthood, her struggle through her shyness and the years he'd spent with her at every juncture... all of it had been erased. The Hyuuga Hinata that he knew was gone; he would probably never see her again.

Yet even knowing this, he could not help but feel an attachment to the girl before him. He reached out a hand, feeling the same soft, glowing hue of hair that he'd grown accustomed to seeing over the course of his life. Technically, he was a thirty-two year old man from another time. She was only thirteen, almost a stranger to him. Would it be weird for him to love her? _Did_ he love her? He didn't know. His mind stumbled upon a mental block and stopped him from verifying his feelings. If she grew to be the woman that he knew she'd be, he would inevitably love her, but as for the little girl she was now, he didn't know how to feel. What he did know was that no matter what age she was at, he would stand by her side, and he supposed that knowledge would have to suffice for now.

Outside, he could sense several sentries moving toward the room. In a compound filled with people with eyes that could penetrate any and all physical surfaces, it was impossible to sneak in without completely hiding one's Chakra. Such a feat was something Naruto had never been capable of doing. He couldn't stay for long. They were coming and getting closer. Every step they took registered clearly in his senses - one of the quirks of being in Sage mode.

He technically _could_ face the sentries. In terms of combat ability, they were nothing more than fodder compared to him, the future Seventh Hokage. On the other hand, confronting them here now wouldn't do him or Hinata any good. Violence did not solve everything. Just as the sentries reached the doors, he smashed himself in the face with a fist.

The sentries slammed the door open only to see the lingering traces of smoke, signifying the dispulsion of a Shadow Clone. Outside, the compound was in various states of panic. To have the Hyuuga compound be broken into so easily was baffling and very disconcerting. The Hyuuga's abilities made them some of the best units in terms of surveillance. However, no matter how good they were at being able to _see_ the various threats in the area, if they couldn't _act_ on the information, then their security was rendered useless.

No matter how well the sentries could see, there were only five active at any given time. They hadn't even had time to react to the one infiltrator before the one suddenly became a hundred. By the time everyone had been pulled out of their beds in preparation for combat, all one hundred infiltrators had vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving a written message in nearly every room. Even without the help of the message, every Hyuuga who had a Byakugan active at the time had recognized the intruder's distinct and overwhelming level of Chakra.

Through all the noise and the blaring sound of ringing bells, Hiashi sat up and quickly activated his Byakugan. His eyes immediately centered around the message written in the next room and almost every room around the compound: " **Uzumaki Naruto was here!** "

He growled in annoyance and immediately went outside to take command. "Everyone go to sleep. We will deal with the prankster in the morning. Do not make any attempts to clean up the mess. Those who were on sentry during the event - I want them here immediately."

His words reached a sizable few who quickly spread the word to those who hadn't seen or heard. Hiashi ground his teeth in annoyance. Since the brat was under the Third Hokage's protection, the issue of this attack was probably going to go straight to the Third Hokage. If things went his way - and they probably would, the brat would be back to clean up this mess. Perhaps some reparations could come in handy too; it could give him some political leverage, maybe not much, but any leverage is better than no leverage at all. Getting to finally be the one to put that annoying, orange prankster in his place was merely an added bonus.

* * *

"I demand he be locked up and put under constant surveillance!"  
Hiruzen stared placidly at the leader of the Hyuuga clan. "Name the crime he has committed to justify such a punishment."

"This surely qualifies as an attack on the Hyuuga compound! We cannot tolerate this, Hokage-sama. The boy is a danger."

"Hiashi, you and I both know that you do not believe that to be true."

"Hokage-sama." Hiashi narrowed his eyes.

"Now hold on, Hiashi." The old man reasoned. "From what you have told me, it seems property damage is minimal and impermanent, and no one has been harmed."

"Regardless of the outcome, the boy is an affront to our security. He is dangerous!"

"And so you propose we put him under lock and key." Hiruzen noted dryly.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"And I suppose I shall also be locked away."

"What?" Hiashi frowned in genuine confusion. "Hokage-sama, that does not follow."

"Indeed it does. The boy is capable of breaking into even the highest security compounds. I, on the other hand, am capable of destroying them with a single Jutsu. It appears, Hiashi, that I am the greater risk, a more imminent danger. Should I be locked up too?"

"Hokage-sama.." Hiashi bowed his head.

Hiruzen sighed. "Reparations will be made. I will have the boy sent to the Hyuuga compound this afternoon after he has finished with his Genin team test. Will that be amenable to you?"

The Hyuuga's lips quirked. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Then the issue is resolved."

Hiashi bowed. "Thank you Hokage-sama."

* * *

Author's Note: Vacuoles are the food/waste storage organelles that exist within living eukaryotic cells. They are colorless. Sometimes, I feel like a vacuole. It's not a good feeling.


	6. Chapter 6

Bed. Blanket. Pillow. Yum.

* * *

It was dark outside. Apparently the darkness was no deterrent for the birds who continued to chirp away in the sleepy, early morning environment. Sakura turned briefly to check her clock.

4:58 A.M.

She had an hour before what would probably be one of the most important tests of her life. Rolling the covers away, she sat up from her bed anxiously.

After five minutes on the toilet and ten in the shower, she found herself standing in front of the bathroom mirror staring into her own reflection.

Haruno Sakura. 154 centimeters tall. Long, pink hair. Wide forehead. Flat chest.

She pinched at her skin and frowned. Not even so much as the _appearance_ of a modest swell; _nothing_. It shouldn't be something she needed to worry about yet. This puberty thing took time. Her mind wandered to Ino's last visit. Oh how her friend had bragged to her about those cursed mounds of flesh. It wasn't fair. It was bad enough that Ino had taken to calling her 'forehead'. If the blonde Yamanaka heir started to add 'flat-chest' to her repertoire, Sakura was going to have to start ignoring her friend. There was a limit to how much they could insult each other.

The only feature that Ino was openly willing to praise her on was her long cherry-pink hair; it almost made up for her other deficiencies, and sometimes, she could spend an entire morning just combing through the cheerful hair. Even her mother had said that she liked it.

Her hair was her pride.

Running a brush through the pink fibers as she usually did in the morning, she could not help but feel empty. What was the point of pretty hair if it got in the way? The terror from yesterday's team training … that had been real and something she would not forget for a long time. The way Sasuke had yanked her hair back and slipped a kunai under her chin had been a mortifying experience. If it had been someone other than Sasuke, say an enemy-nin, she would've been dead. Her hair was an obstacle. Besides, what was the point of maintaining it if the one who she did it for only scorned her efforts?  
Sasuke was right. It would get in the way and was unprofessional. If she wanted to be the best female Shinobi in the field, then she would need to get rid of it.

She flipped through the drawers and elicited the scissors that her mother used on occasion to trim her hair. She could already imagine her mother's reaction.

 _What happened to your beautiful hair?!_ Her mother would ask. _Such a loss!_

 _She doesn't know anything about being a Shinobi!_ Inner Sakura yelled. _This is too important to let mom decide!_

Sakura shook her head, ignoring Inner Sakura. Now that she'd graduated and was looking to become a Shinobi, she needed to take things much more seriously. Her hair would give enemies leverage to snap her neck. Sasuke's own words, and undeniably true.

Maybe if they passed the test and became an official team together, Sasuke would be more willing to talk to her. As a team, they kind of had to. She would show him. She would show all of them.

Haruno Sakura wouldn't be the useless little girl playing at being Ninja that she'd been accused of being.

With one last look into the mirror at her hair, she took up a cluster of fine pink strands into one hand and placed them between the cold, metal blades that she held in her other. Ino was _so_ going to make fun of her. Stupid Ino-pig.

* _Snip*_

* * *

5:41 A.M.

 _Breakfast?_ The void in her stomach asked and was quickly refuted. The Jonin Kakashi had told them not to eat breakfast. Running a hand through her shortened pink hair, she put on her sandals and walked out the door.

It was a beautiful day outside. Birds were singing. Flowers were blooming. On days like these, more appreciative or contemplative people might have reveled in the beauty of dawn and lamented the fact that some never woke in time to see such sensational scenery. Still others, the slightly better few, could be seen moving through the setting but fail to notice its loveliness.

Sakura would fall into the latter category. Her mind was full with half-guessed theories on what the test might be. Naruto had emphasized teamwork.

That idiot Naruto, thinking he knew her. The blonde idiot knew nothing about her. She could damned well smile whenever she liked. She didn't need his help. He was the village idiot, the class clown and the deadlast student of the Shinobi Academy. Gods knew how he even received his promotion. Throughout all her years in the Academy, there was one thing she knew of her now-teammate and it was that he was literally the worst in just about every subject that existed. His scores were consistently bad, his taijutsu forms were terrible, his theory knowledge was nonexistent, he couldn't even cast a simple clone jutsu, the list could go on for pages. Still, even with how incredibly all-around _terrible_ he'd been, Uzumaki Naruto was the biggest, loud-mouthed braggart in the world. For all his exclamations about beating Sasuke, being the strongest and becoming Hokage, Naruto's words were just that; they were nothing more than words.

That's what they should have been. Had Naruto been _pretending_ to be stupid for six years?! His words yesterday and the skills he'd displayed contradicted every belief she'd had of him. In fact, if she were to make an evaluation based on yesterday, she'd even go so far as to say that Uzumaki Naruto was actually a genius.

Yet all those times which he'd asked her for a date, all his tomfoolery and his pranks.. They didn't make sense. Why would he let himself be beaten and ridiculed most of his life if he were so skilled? If only he'd acted less a fool, maybe people would be more willing to be nice to him. But he _did_ act a fool. All the way up to yesterday, Uzumaki Naruto had been a fool. All the way up until his prank on Kakashi had succeeded in fact. It didn't make sense. None of it made any sense. It was almost as if the Naruto she knew had been a facade.

The village brightened as she walked, and soon, the first glimpse of the Sun finally began peeking over the forest horizon. It was during this transition that she reached her destination point.

Training Ground three. Ahead, she could see two figures sparring on the trimmed, grassy area. A flash of bright orange and yellow blurred against a deeper, darker hue of color. Sasuke was _fast_. Even from her distance, she could see the quick, intricate maneuvers that were being made. What surprised her wasn't Uchiha Sasuke's speed and amazing acrobatics. She'd always been confident in his abilities. What surprised her was the fact that Naruto, the deadlast, was matching him move for move and blow for blow; it was a friendly yet very high-calibre exchange that she couldn't even begin to follow. Since when had Naruto become so strong? Since when did she become the weaker of the three?

It shamed her and yet it filled her with an odd sort of jealous determination. She would not fall behind. If this were reality, then she would have to work just that much harder to catch up to them. She would _not_ be shown up by her teammates. To be the weakest link, that would be _unacceptable_.

Inner Sakura agreed.

Naruto seemed to be the first to notice her arrival as he suddenly flashed forward and brought his opponent slamming into the ground from out of the air. "Sakura-chan!" He greeted cheerily as he held Sasuke into the grassy floor. "Good morning! We've been waiting for you."

"Naruto." Sasuke growled out from below an orange knee. "Get off of me."

Naruto grinned and complied, offering a hand and pulling his opponent up in a friendly gesture. "Looks like I got used to fighting like this before you did."

"Yeah. You cheated with Shadow Clones."

"Looks like your Sharingan isn't helping you this time is it? Let's have breakfast."

Sakura's stomach leapt like a puppy at the prospect of a treat. "Breakfast?! What do you mean breakfast?!"

"Well." Naruto replied, sitting down and picking up a box that she realized must have been there the entire time. "I brought breakfast and I'm eating it. I don't care if I puke. At least I'll have something to give me energy."

"Naruto you're totally-!" She stopped mid-sentence as Sasuke seemed to sheepishly pull out his own bar of food from behind where he was sitting. "Sasuke, you too?! What if Kakashi fails us for disobeying his orders?!"

"He didn't order us to not eat, Sakura, he merely suggested it." Sasuke's eyes smoldered. "Even if he makes us puke like he's promised, under no circumstance is providing your body with sustenance a bad thing. It's actually more practical to just eat and risk losing breakfast than to be hungry and weak for whatever will be thrown at us."

She didn't know what to say to that. It sounded reasonable, but what really made her nervous was the fact that Sasuke was speaking a lot more than he usually did in the academy. He was actually _talking_ to her. The thought sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. The butterflies became gnawing caterpillars as her stomach growled, scolding her angrily for not feeding it and for being such an idiot to have not realized earlier that she hadn't had to skip breakfast. Even _Naruto_ had brought his own share of food.

Without another word, she walked over to the two, picking a spot next to Sasuke, and sat onto the grass like they were doing. This wasn't how the team was supposed to work. She wasn't supposed to be the idiot. That was Naruto's job. She and Sasuke had both been at the top of the class. She'd worked _hard_ to get to where she was. Naruto on the other hand had slacked off and skipped class for as long as she could remember. It wasn't _fair_.

She couldn't even look at them. Sasuke must think her a fool. She _was_ a fool. She'd let herself be fooled by their Jonin-leader. Her stomach growled again, causing her to raise wild, embarrassed glances at her teammates.

Naruto set down his riceball into his box with a clunk before letting his eyes settle meaningfully to his side. "Sasuke. Why are you hiding that behind you. I thought you said you were going to share that one with her."  
Sasuke visibly glared at Naruto, his eyes flaring in what looked to be an attempt to immolate everything in its sights.  
Sakura's gaze fell inquisitively on her crush who seemed reluctant as he drew another bar from behind him. "Here."

She reached a disbelieving hand forward to take the offered sustenance. "This is for me?"

"It was Naruto's idea."

"Wait. You _listen_ to him?"

"Nah. It was all Sasuke." Naruto grinned. "He's just too ashamed to admit that he likes you."

The glare he received from his friend only made him grin wider.

As he watched Sakura's expression become a facsimile of his own, Naruto couldn't help but feel vindicated for his actions.

"Sakura." Sasuke said warningly just as she was about to burst out with words of adoration. "Don't."  
She nodded, swallowing the ' _Sasuke-kun!~'_ and ' _You're the sweetest!~'_ that was on the tip of her tongue. "Thank you." She said instead. _Oh my god he brought this just for you!_ Inner Sakura screamed. _Oh my god Sakura do you know what this means?! Oh my god! Ino will be sooo jealous!_

"Hn."

"Really Sasuke?" Naruto said through a mouthful of bread. "Really?!"

"How I interact with others is my business Naruto. My life is my own."

"What are you two talking about?" Sakura asked curiously.

"About Sasuke being a total ass."

"That's not nice Naruto."

"Yeah well..." Naruto took another bite of bread. "Ok. You're right. I'm a terrible person. I'll stop talking. In fact, I'll even leave. I wouldn't want to get between the two of you now would I?" He added a wink for good measure.

Sakura blushed at the implication, and Sasuke scowled. "Naruto. Please shut up."

"Yup! Just what I planned to do!" Scarfing down the rest of his fare, Naruto stood. "Looks like Kakashi-sensei won't be here for a while. I'm going to take a look around to see where I can set some traps. Bye!"  
"Naruto, wait!" Sasuke called desperately, but Naruto had already run off. It was bad enough that he'd lost in their earlier spar. Now he had to suffer through… _this_. He'd thought his friend would've remained by his side. In what world did Naruto think it was alright for him to deal with thirteen year olds alone. Kids that age were _strange_ , and, unlike Naruto, he had no experience dealing with children. His own _daughter_ had almost been at Sakura's current age. Even if Sakura was his wife, this was beyond his comfort level.

As he looked upon her, he couldn't help but see the woman she'd become. The Sakura he knew had been very attractive… and aggressive. He swallowed. This didn't make him a paedophile did it?

Noticing his gaze, Sakura looked up at him, causing him to fight the urge to look away; his pride won the contest and he managed to maintain eye contact. _Damn_ that Naruto. Forcing him into this awkward situation… he felt like a creep. "Sakura..."

The girl straightened into attention, waiting for him to speak.

"Is it good?" He asked conversationally, knowing exactly what she would say. Of course it wasn't good. It was a ration bar. It sacrificed flavor for nutrition. A Shinobi could subsist for weeks on a single bar.

"This?" She held up the rations bar.

"Hn." He replied affirmatively.

"O-of course." Sakura took another bite. "How could I not like something given to me by my Sasuke-kun!~"

"Sakura… it's not supposed to be good. It's a ration bar. I picked it specifically for its terrible flavor."

"Um… oh." Sakura whispered. She was confused. Why would Sasuke do that?

"Sakura… I won't think worse of you if you don't like something that I do. In fact, I prefer you be honest. That ration bar is disgusting."

Sakura frowned unhappily. She'd messed up again. Of course. There was always a hidden meaning, and she'd failed to see it.

And then, suddenly, he couldn't help but offer her his smile. Something inside him wanted to comfort her. Perhaps it was the part of him who felt he owed it to her, for everything she'd done for him in another time. "I'll make you something better next time, but you're finishing that ration bar. You're too skinny. You need to eat better."

Sakura laughed. It was the first genuine laughter he'd heard from her since he'd been placed in this body - this time. "Geez Sasuke. You sound like my dad."

"Hn." He smirked. "And if you don't finish what I gave you, I'm going to start sounding like your mom too. I guess that would make me your third, adoptive parent. Now finish your food."

"What about you?" The girl asked accusingly. "Are you going to finish yours?"  
He answered by taking a bite out of the bar in his hand. He then gestured for her to do the same. Sakura nodded and complied.

If someone were to ask her what she'd be doing the morning after graduation, sitting on the grassy lawns of Training Ground 3 and eating a disgusting nutrition bar next to Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't have been one of them. After the first few bites of the bland substance, she grew more or less accustomed to its horrible flavor. Did becoming a Shinobi mean eating this everyday? The prospect made her coddled taste buds wince in apprehension.  
Sitting next to Sasuke, her short hair flailing against a slight breeze, Sakura felt like she'd almost become a different person. Once, she would have squealed at the thought of being in her current position, but now, she couldn't seem to find that same feeling. Something had changed in her that morning, and she wasn't exactly sure what that was.

Sasuke stood to his feet and started walking away toward the other side of the clearing.

"Sasuke?" She asked.

He stopped about ten meters from her and turned. With a smile that almost didn't fit his usual broody features, the Uchiha settled into a standard Academy taijutsu stance. "Sakura. Show me your taijutsu."

She nodded, quickly finished the rest of her rations bar, brushed her fingers off and made her way toward the challenge. _Sasuke's training you!_ Inner Sakura cheered _Do you know what this means?! Oh my god!_

Sakura stared grimly at the boy who'd nearly killed her the day before and found that she couldn't seem to share Inner Sakura's enthusiasm. "Shut up."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"I'm telling myself to shut up!" She picked up her pace, locking her opponent in her sights.

"What?"

Ignoring his questioning look, Sakura readied to engage her opponent in close quarters.

Sasuke relaxed, the confusion clearing from his eyes as his face fell impassive. Sakura's fists clenched tightly. The way he was gazing down so dismissively at her approach was an insult to her pride as a prospective Shinobi. She would show him. Haruno Sakura was _not_ just a weak little girl, and she was going to do much more than merely _play_ at being Ninja. If that idiot Naruto could dream of becoming Hokage and come so far, then she could most definitely become the most powerful kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf.

Her first punch missed by small margins as did its follow-up. She couldn't even touch him. A small smile grew on his face as her fists continued to miss their target. Sasuke was just that fast.

She growled. That smile was coming off his face. Uchiha Sasuke just wasn't cool when he smiled.

And for the second time that morning, Inner Sakura agreed.

* * *

Author's Note: Have I read "I am not going through puberty again!" by evilfuzzy? Why yes. Yes I have. If you go through the fic's review section, you might even find some of my reviews. It was a fun read.

 **TTFN and R &R!**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Aren't really actually necessary. Most stories don't have it because we all know that none of this is monetized nor are any claims of ownership being made with regards to the original work these fics are modeled off of.

* * *

A _child limped home in the late evening. He watched as the child climbed the stairs step by step, the same stairs that he'd seen the kid climbed many times before._

 _The wooden structure didn't even creak as the child's small form made its way up toward its single apartment room._

 _Sitting a short distance away on the tops of the few tall lampposts in the area, he waited for the kid to enter the building before leaping to another vantage point, flying across the rooftops to stand on the wall right below an open, fourth-floor window._

 _From his position, he could hear the sounds of shuffling feet coming from inside, and his heart began to race with excitement._

 _"Oh!" A childish exclamation floated out the window. "Mr. Bear! How did you get in my apartment?"_

 _There was a brief scuffling noise as the sound of jolting bedsprings squeaked into the observer's ears._

 _"So," The child's voice asked hesitantly. "Does this mean you'll be staying? It gets really lonely in here and there's only me and I'm not very fun. No one wants to play with me. Wait.."_

 _A soft clunk resonated on the wall._

 _"It's the same for you too right? The shop owners wouldn't let me buy you, so you must have came to my apartment by yourself." The child suddenly laughed. "Well Mr. Bear! Let me introduce myself to you. My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm!" The bedsprings groaned loudly and repetitively. "So!" There was another creak of bedsprings and then there was silence. "I'm so happy that you want to be with me! I swear I'll take care of you forever Mr. Bear! I swear so don't go running away ok? I'll be like the bestest friend you'll ever have!"_

* * *

"Kakashi will probably administer what is known as the bell-test - as he has been known to do. But with a little variation. In order for each of us to pass, we must each retrieve a bell. There is a catch: he will only present us with two bells. One of us will definitely fail while the other two will be taken under his guidance as an official Genin-team. That is what he will tell you, and it's a big fat lie."

Sakura tilted her head. "A lie? How do you know? How do you even know this?"

"I did my research." Naruto replied. The last time he had been a part of the test had been twenty years ago after all. Some memories simply stuck better than others. Perhaps it had something to do with how they'd left him tied to a tree stump for over six hours. It seemed a pretty funny thing to do to him in hindsight, but it hadn't been funny at the time though, not when he'd been the one who had to sit through over six hours of _sheer boredom_. Being the energetic kid that he was, being made to sit still for six hours had been torture. If he'd known that becoming Hokage meant sitting in front of a desk at least six hours a day, he would have probably given up that dream. Or not. The only way to test that would be to plant that knowledge into the mind of his twelve year old self and record the effects that it would have had on his child-self's life choices.

"The point is," he continued. "We're going to have to work together. That's what this test is about; it's a test of teamwork. Remember. He's the Jonin and one of the best in the village. We on the other hand aren't even Genin yet. The only way for us to get the bells is if he let us do it. The true-test comes _after_ , when he's tied one of us to a stump and-"

Flying across the sky, a meteor-like object fell into the little clearing, causing the air to crackle with the pressure of its landing. The meteor rose, revealing a fully masked face, a head of gravity-defying silver hair, and a shiny forehead protector, slanted over one eye. Kakashi dramatically looked over the three Academy graduates.

"Well. It looks like you already know about my test. There's no point in me giving it anymore, is there?"

"Hi Kakashi." Naruto said in greeting. "I was wondering when you were going to get here. You're kind of late."

"Hmm.. originally I'd planned to arrive at around noon, when you were too hungry to really think straight. All part of the test." Kakashi smiled. "But you ate breakfast, so I'd planned to come around in the afternoon to let you become properly hungry again. Of course you'd still be here or risk me failing you, right?" He glanced significantly at all three of his students. "Really, you're full of surprises. Ruining my test. You'd be the first to do so." He settled his gaze curiously onto what was supposed to be the worst of his students. He couldn't have been more wrong. "Tell me, Uzumaki Naruto, since when did you start reading Icha-Icha?"

"Since when?" Naruto looked up into the sky thoughtfully. "It's mostly your fault actually."

"My fault?" Kakashi scoffed. "Do explain."

"You're the one who's reading it all the time and I got curious."

"Hmm. So you admit that you've been stalking me."

More like came from the future. Speaking of coming from the future, there were a few admittances that he'd managed to get from his friend that he could use that to his advantage. "Well no. You were the one stalking me actually, ever since I was a kid. You were the guy in the dog mask right?"

"Maa… I guess I wasn't as stealthy as I'd thought. When did you notice me?"

"Not long after you bought me my first friend."  
"Mr. Bear…" Kakashi smiled at the thought of the gift he'd secretly left in Naruto's small apartment on his offtime. It was a small gesture, nothing compared to what he _should_ have done, but it was still something. "Did you like him?"

"I loved him." Naruto said earnestly. "He was my only friend for the longest time… thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi's heart swelled. "You're welcome."

Sakura stuck out her tongue and gagged. "Ew. You guys are so mushy."

"Eh?" Kakashi voiced unapologetically. "I guess that comes with reading Icha-Icha. Some of the scenes _do_ get pretty mushy."

Sakura blushed, and Sasuke's lips flattened into a thin line.

Kakashi continued to smile as he turned his attention back to his mentor's son. "Funny that Naruto should've mentioned the Castle Arc. It happens to be the one I have on me right now." He reached into his pouch and elicited a book. "You _have_ been stalking me haven't you?"

"You started it." Naruto returned with a pout.

Sakura looked between the two. With the help of some hormones, her overactive imagination began to provide her mind with several unpleasantly pleasant images.

Seeing his wife's furtive, blushing glances at the two shameless men - which included Naruto because Naruto was really a thirty-two year old man in the guise of a boy - Sasuke's lips twitched in annoyance. "So what are we going to do for the test?"

"Hm?" Kakashi hummed. "There is no test. You pass."

"What?"

"You work well enough together as a team. Sasuke, you'd make a good taijutsu instructor. Naruto, your intel gathering is amazing - especially so since your target was me and I didn't notice a thing until yesterday. What's better was that you didn't withhold that information from your teammates. Recognizing each other's strengths and weaknesses and working to fix those, I'd say you were practically a self-sustaining three-person team. I almost feel like an unwanted addition."

"Well…" Naruto sighed in a teasing imitation of his new teacher. "We can't be a Genin-team without a sensei now, can we?"  
"Maaa…that's technically true." Kakashi swivelled his eye around the other members of the team. "It's only a little after 8 A.M., how about a little exercise? Conveniently, I have a bell and timer with me." He drew a bell from his pocket and jingled it in the air. "You have an hour to retrieve this bell from my person, and may try anything to do so. If you manage to take this bell off me by the end of the hour, I might even give you a reward. Any questions?"

Naruto shot his hand skyward. "What kind of reward?"

"Well…" He tapped his masked chin. "Whoever gets the bell gets to choose. As long as it's reasonable of course."

"Is getting you to never mask your face again a reasonable reward?" Naruto suggested with a hint of mischief in his voice.

Kakashi tilted his head and smiled. "Sure."

He looked over the three Genin that he'd so easily passed. Sakura looked so happy she seemed practically ready to cheer. In fact, the girl seemed to be radiating happiness from where she stood. That was odd. Was it normal for a person to be so happy? He'd known, of course, of her crush on Uchiha Sasuke. What had the boys done to her?

Naruto and Sasuke, on the other hand, shared a quick, competitive glance. It seemed almost as if the two were confident in their abilities in getting the bell and were silently challenging each other as to who got it first.

Kakashi didn't know why he'd gotten that impression. They were only Genin. Even if they were geniuses, they would be no match for him without the time they needed to fully realize their potential; he planned on running them ragged. There was no way they could get the bell off him. He was one of the best Jonin in the village. Hopefully, they'd show some team coordination.

Still, even if they did, they weren't going to get the bell from him. He would make sure of that. Faced with what they knew to be an impossible challenge, he wondered how they would improvise.

He set the timer, gave the bell another reassuring jingle, and slouched into a deceptively vulnerable position.

"Begin."

* * *

Kakashi's instincts had been wrong. It shouldn't have surprised him. His instincts had been going off kilter the past 18 hours or so, instincts which told him there was a little something more underneath those innocent, baby-blue eyes, instincts which had added Uchiha Sasuke onto what was now a list of two people. He couldn't understand it. Sure the two were strong. Much stronger than the girl, but at most they were at the level of common geniuses of their age, which is to say several levels below him, one-time child-genius and captain of the ANBU, Hatake Kakashi. If he accepted his instincts' conclusion, then wouldn't he have already lost the contest, bells torn from his hands in a single blazing instant of speed that his instincts accused them of being capable of?  
What was wrong with this picture? Well first, it was clear they were fighting in a formation which accounted for their one weakness: Haruno Sakura. No matter how much they set up the situation to maximize her involvement in whatever team movements they made, it was clear that the girl was an unnecessary addition; at least she benefited from this exercise. Falling victim to every single one of his attacks and just escaping death and mutilation by a hair thanks to her teammates, Haruno Sakura would no doubt have her worldview on what it meant to be a Shinobi changed forever. Whatever Illusion he'd cast on her had left her shivering on the ground, traumatized beyond anything she could've imagined. The series of taijutsu exchanges that she engaged him in had left her arms and parts of her body bruised and hurt.

Kakashi didn't know why he was being so brutal. Perhaps he was making up for the fact that no matter what he did, the other two members of the team seemed to be able to keep up, albeit barely. Or at least that was what it seemed. To be fair to them, Uchiha Sasuke did allow himself to sustain a few spots of damage.

 _Deception._ His instincts cried.

If so, why were they deceiving him? He could recall the words uttered yesterday by his blonde student as the kid had introduced himself. A world where his friends would not be killed in front of him, where the tragedy of war would never happen again. Such were the words of the Fourth Hokage's son. Mature words, words that spoke of experience on both accounts of death and war. And yet Naruto has not seen war. It was impossible; no war has happened during the kid's lifetime. At the same time, Haruno Sakura had been right. Uzumaki Naruto had no friends. At least not until today. It was surprising. With all the information he'd been given about his prospective Genin and with what he personally knew of Naruto, the team's relational dynamic should have been difficult.

It didn't make sense because, as far as he could tell, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto worked so well in tandem, it seemed as if they had been partners for years. They were just that coordinated. Of course, he could just chalk it up to genius. The ability to adapt to team-oriented tactics and maneuvers was something that could've been innate.

Yet how likely was it that the village prankster and Academy deadlast had actually been a genius in hiding? If he were asked the day before, he'd have said that the probability of such a ridiculous notion was next to none at all. He loved the kid, if only as a sort of brother to their shared father figure; he owed it to that father figure to love the kid, or at least love him to whatever capacity that his apathy allowed him. But his personal feelings didn't matter. It was an objective fact that Uzumaki Naruto just _wasn't very intelligent_. Not that the kid wasn't _capable_ of intelligence, but that the kid, if he were actually of a higher mental capacity, had never really given himself the opportunity to expand on that capacity. Skipping classes and pulling pranks certainly didn't help him grow. Added to the fact that Kakashi had taken it upon himself to stalk - no - to observe the kid on regular intervals during his offtime, he would say that there were no indications whatsoever that Uzumaki Naruto had ever been at the level he displayed now.

Kakashi shivered as he pretended to read his smut and pretended to not see the next formation being planned against him. This was where his evidence fell apart. He had been given irrefutable evidence this morning and yesterday afternoon of the fact that Uzumaki Naruto had been _aware_ of his… _observations_ and had in fact been stalking his own stalker without the stalker noticing. Such a situation pointed to the possibility - a low possibility mind - that maybe everything he'd seen of Naruto had been but a facade, a false face and act put on for not just him, but also the rest of the village at large.

They'd all fallen for the image of the idiot-blonde and failed to see _this_ , and _this_ , Kakashi realized, terrified him. There was something going on underneath the visages of the two boys who were putting on every appearance of teamwork, camaraderie and cohesion and _following through_ with every movement they made.

There was something going on and he was about to find out what exactly that was. Lifting his visor, he uncovered his left eye to reveal the famed Sharingan that had earned him his nickname to be whispered in fear among the Hidden Leaf's enemies. _Kakashi of the Sharingan_. With this eye, he would see the truth. Every detail would be encapsulated perfectly into memory, every twitch of movement and every expulsion of Chakra used to boost movement would be seared into his mind.

Sasuke was the first to burst out of the forest. Running alongside him was Naruto… or a Naruto clone. The real Naruto could be anywhere. Maybe even behind him.

He checked his back briefly and spotted the telltale blonde. A classic pincer movement. Nearly a hundred meters away, up in the trees, his Sharingan spotted the girl hidden among the leaves holding several kunai in preparation and providing discrete, long-ranged support. A classic formation. No innovation whatsoever. Kakashi smiled grimly. His Sharingan had provoked no reaction from the Uchiha that was drawing near. It should have. It didn't.

Just as his attackers neared him, Kakashi activated his signature technique, his eyes zeroing in on his target as he saturated the air with very real Killing Intent. Uchiha Sasuke noted his line of vision and Kakashi smirked. _Too late_.

With a blur of speed and a ball of crackling hot electricity burning in his hands, Kakashi vanished from the spot on which he'd been standing, leaving a trail of destruction behind him as his Chidori, his ultimate assassination technique, blasted everything in its outward vicinity. It was a speed that even the best from among the Jonin, save Maito Gai, would be hard-pressed to match; it was a technique designed to _kill_ , and Haruno Sakura was his target.

The air tremored loudly as he displaced it forcefully, and in the blink of an eye, he was upon her, hand reaching forward; the girl froze in horror as she stared into the red-eyed demon before her - into the face of death. Mere fractions of a second from hitting his target, he felt a blunt force clamp on his wrist and another drive heartlessly into his guts, causing him to cough up a small string of blood from what was no doubt an internal injury.

Uchiha Sasuke's red, pinwheel eyes swirled away, but not quickly enough.

Sakura inched her back against the tree, trembling in fear as Sasuke stood impossibly between her and what would have been inevitable death.

Despite his newfound internal pains, Kakashi could only feel relief. Sasuke had not only reacted in time, the boy also far exceeded him in speed. And then there were those eyes. He'd seen them. Just before they'd faded away - the Mangekyou Sharingan. It was possible that Sasuke had triggered this rare and extremely powerful variant of his clan's eyes after the Massacre, but for all the village had known up to this point, the last Uchiha's Sharingan hadn't even developed its first comma.

"Mangekyou Sharingan…"

The glare he received from his Genin-student exceeded all the other glares that the Uchiha had levelled at him earlier and was supplemented by what could only be the kid's own Killing Intent. Kakashi coughed. The kid really packed a punch.

"You just tried to perform an A-rank assassination technique on a thirteen-year old child fresh out of the Academy." Sasuke's voice noted coldly, sending shivers down Kakashi's spine. "You tried to kill her. _Hatake Kakashi_."

Kakashi watched the Chakra in the kid's forearm pool in thick concentration - a level of Chakra-manipulation which would have taken over a decade of practice to achieve, even for a genius. On the downside, it meant that his forearm was being crushed.

"Sasuke." Naruto's voice spoke seriously from behind him. "Let him go. You know he didn't really mean any harm. That Chidori would have missed, right Kakashi-sensei?"  
"Perhaps." Kakashi answered vaguely. The truth would've only made the situation worse. Only Sasuke knew the truth. His Sharingan would've allowed him to see the Chidori's trajectory. "I have some questions for you... who are you? What have you done to Naruto?" Sasuke, noticing the change in Kakashi's voice, slowly released the arm he held in his grip. It flopped down, clearly broken.

"I am Naruto. Kakashi-sensei-"

"You can't possibly be. I don't believe it. I've watched Naruto all his life. He shouldn't be capable of what you've shown me today. And who is this? Uchiha Sasuke? He _does_ have the Sharingan, but again, he couldn't possibly have caught me mid-Chidori. No Academy student has that kind of capability, no matter how well-trained or how much of a genius they might be. Even geniuses need time and training to develop."

"We don't owe him any explanation." Sasuke said. "He tried to kill her outside the parameters of what he is allowed to do. He's lucky we're even leaving him alive."

A soft chuckle was emitted as Naruto entered Kakashi's line of vision from the corner of his lone Sharingan eye. "Now who's the one who needs to calm down and think? We know Kakashi. _I_ know Kakashi. He wouldn't do that."

"You don't understand Naruto. I'm telling you he _did_ just try to kill her. You're not the one with the Sharingan. You couldn't see."

"Sasuke. She's still alive isn't she?"

"That's because-!"

"It doesn't matter why. Holding grudges will only make things worse. Surely you, of all people, are aware of that."

Sasuke trembled. He couldn't believe how close he had been to losing her. To see her on the brink of death like that had triggered a deep, horrible reaction. He couldn't lose her. Not even if he saved his brother. Sakura simply _couldn't_ _die_. Not yet. Not like this. Not before he'd given her the life that he'd owed her.

"He's right Sasuke." A voice spoke from behind him. He turned to his future wife who smiled comfortingly. "I'm OK."

"He tried to kill you. You saw him. He was _this_ close to disintegrating your heart."

"But I'm OK. Because you protected me."

Sasuke covered his mouth with a hand in a thinking gesture. None of them were listening to him.

"Sasuke." Naruto intoned heavily in his child's voice. "You're letting this go. You're not thinking straight."

Sasuke stared at the confused Jonin and then at the visage of his scared wife and resigned his thoughts. Naruto was right. He didn't need the hatred, no matter how justified he might think himself in his anger. Sakura was fine. Still, it didn't change the fact that Kakashi had tried to kill her. He glared down at his wife's attempted-murderer. "Why?"

"You know exactly why. I had reasonable evidence to conclude that neither of you are who you appear to be."

Sasuke's facial expression became flat. "You also had reasonable evidence to conclude that Sakura is exactly who she appeared to be, whatever that means to you. If anything, we should have been the target of your technique, _not_ her."

"I was curious." Kakashi explained. "You seemed extremely protective of her; it leaked out during our exercise."

Sasuke took a deep breath and turned his attention to the only one who he seemed to listen to. "Naruto. I'm not in the mental or emotional state to deal with this situation right now. Be _thankful_ , Hatake Kakashi. If Naruto weren't here to defend you-"

"Sasuke. You need to cool off." Naruto replied knowingly. "Go find somewhere quiet to think. I'll take care of everything, and I hope I can trust you to function correctly in the future. You're a very important part of our plans, Sasuke. I can't have you losing control of yourself when I need you fully functional."

"Naruto.." Sasuke clenched and unclenched his fists. Naruto was wrong, but saying so wouldn't change anything. Shouldn't his friend at least be _angry_? Maybe Naruto still wasn't seeing this world for the reality that it is. In any case, Naruto was still his Hokage and the man he respected the most. With a slow breath, Sasuke nodded his concession. "Understood." Sasuke shot one last look at his wife-to-be, causing her heart to flutter before leaping down from the tree and ambling toward a secluded spot to brood.

"He calls you Naruto." Kakashi said, breaking the silence that had ensued.

"That's because I _am_ Naruto."

"But there's something more…" Kakashi added persistently.

Naruto laughed. "I guess that's why you're considered a genius."

"Naruto…" Sakura chimed in. "Kakashi-sensei is right. There's something off about you, and about Sasuke too. I want to know."

"Well there's really nothing to it." Naruto replied almost carelessly. "We came from the future and you get married to Sasuke."

 _OH my GOD Sakura! You get married to Sasuke! OH MY GODDDD! You may faint now! Kyaaa! Sakura!_ Ignoring her inner voice, Sakura gulped. "I.. I do?!"

"Yup!" Naruto said cheerily. "And Kakashi becomes the Sixth Hokage."

Kakashi stared at the blonde with his mismatched eyes, his Sharingan failing to detect any of the usual tells associated with lying.

"Bullshit."

* * *

Author's Note: I lifted the first segment of this chapter from one of my other stories. Those who've read it know which one. Those who haven't, don't worry about it. It's just a random tidbit. Nothing much else to say. Um.. Yesterday was PI day, the anniversary of the end of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I reread the first seven chapters. It's still every bit as good as I remembered it to be. Eliezor is the bestest!


	8. Chapter 8

*Insert Standard Disclaimer*

* * *

"How else would you explain the skill discrepancy then?"

Kakashi tested his healed forearm, but remained unconvinced. Even after Naruto had mended the man's broken limb and ruptured organs with his Yang release Chakra transmission, the Jonin continued to maintain that Naruto was lying.

"Easy." Kakashi answered. "If we reject the theory that you are in fact, Uzumaki Naruto, then your claim falls apart. I wouldn't rule out hypnotism either; some Genjutsu are powerful enough to manipulate targets into believing things they wouldn't otherwise believe - such as your sudden and very wrong belief that you are a survivor of some war come back from the future."

"So which one am I, an imposter or Uzumaki Naruto under hypnotism? I can't be both."

"That's kind of hard to say." Kakashi reasoned. "The possibilities aren't limited only to the theories I've presented. You could be anything."

"Like a transmigrant from 20 years in the future whose soul has been transplanted 20 years into his past."

"Exactly."

"What are we disagreeing on again?"

"The fact that you're under the delusion of having come from 20 years in the future."

Naruto turned to Sakura who looked away. "He might be right. How do we know this isn't a prank?" She sniffed in response. "You've been playing pranks like this your whole life."

Naruto looked in the direction that Sasuke had moved off to, wishing for a moment that his friend were here to back him up. "So one of you has a legitimate excuse to disbelieve me, given what she knows about me. The other is being a troll."

Kakashi scoffed. "I'll have you know that I'm a full grown male. I take insult to your incorrect pronoun usage." He turned an inspecting gaze at the pink haired girl next to him. "And little Sakura here isn't a troll. She seems very human to me."

Naruto chuckled briefly and decided to try another avenue. "Kakashi-sensei. What would you have done if Sasuke hadn't stopped you from planting that Chidori through Sakura's heart?"

"Hmm. I'd probably have had to report an accident on the training field, I'd tell her family, and would probably attend her funeral. I'd feel guilty of course. Killing children is one of the things I generally prefer not to do."

"Kakashi-sensei." Naruto smiled. "You're gonna have to do better than that."

"Well for starters," Kakashi stared down the threatening smile with a smile of his own. "if you were enemy Shinobi, then it would be logical for me to take down the weaker target first, if only to make it less trouble for me to face the stronger foe - you and Sasuke. Now as to why I projected the three of you to be real enemies," Kakashi quickly added when he saw Naruto about to react. "You, Naruto, were a blaring sign of 'something's wrong with me' since the day before. I'd thought you were unique. Then Sasuke joined the list. He was much better at hiding it than you were, but there were a few small tells that ultimately gave him away. What then would be the reason for me not to suspect the third member? This group, supposedly Genin, were showing me behavior beyond what they should have been capable of; your teamwork, your abilities, even your speech patterns…

"Tell me. Since you claim to have known me so well in the future, what would you have done if one day, I started acting like someone else - someone you don't know and doing things that Hatake Kakashi clearly would not have been capable of? And then add to that the clear evidence of underlying deceit; not only is this Hatake Kakashi giving off signs of being someone else, he is actively trying to cover his tracks."

"That doesn't justify what you tried to do." Sasuke's voice spoke from the base of the tree.

"Perhaps," Kakashi looked down at the boy that had appeared quietly below them at some point. Or had he been there the whole time? "And perhaps not. There were several ways I could have approached the situation. I might have subdued you and brought you to T&I, for example. But I did not. If you are from the future, Uchiha Sasuke, then you should know how the system works. If you allow yourself to be perceived an enemy, then you will have forfeited not only your freedom, but your life as well; I am free to devise and follow through with any course of action with complete impunity. That's how the Shinobi world works. Ninjas are masters of deception. I can never be too careful. One misstep - one small mercy - and any number of terrible things could have happened."

Kakashi, having finished with his reasoning, lapsed into silence. Naruto's eyes became distant as he thought back to his past - the future. The Alliance they'd built had been the result of years of hard work. The Fourth Shinobi War had been the catalyst which had brought them together; it presented a common evil against which they'd fought. It was in that war against that common evil which had made them comrades in the battlefield - brethren who'd fought, bled and died at each other's sides regardless of the state or culture from which they'd hailed. It was during that war in which the Shinobi of all factions had suffered their losses together, charged bravely together toward almost certain death against an enemy of unrivaled power; a war in which they'd discovered how much they had in common. They all shared the same ideal for peace, the same desire for all the pain and the death to end. Whether one was a Shinobi from Rock, Leaf, Sand, Lightning or any of the other politically divided factions, the commonality they shared had never been more abundantly clear. Death was cruel and war was terrible. No one desired such things. Why then, if every one of them only wanted peace, did they fight each other and create conflict? The Fourth Shinobi War had had a terrible toll, but in its aftermath, an era of unparalleled peace and prosperity had been born. Jiraiya's vision had been fulfilled. They'd created a world in which people truly could understand one another.

The Fourth Shinobi War had not happened yet in this time, and in lieu of that understanding, Naruto could not blame his former mentor for his cynicism and his actions. The Shinobi System was a system of paranoia, and paranoia was what the system was still made to foster. Hatake Kakashi's generation had been the last of the worst.

"You know. We had a lot of enemies in this time, but our most dangerous enemy.." Naruto gave himself a pause for maximum dramatic effect. "His name is Uchiha Obito."

"You lie." Kakashi accused. Naruto tried not to smile at that and continued his delivery.

"He can traverse and interact with this world through an alternate dimension, giving him the ability to become intangible. That ability alone is what makes him so dangerous. No matter how strong our attacks are or how fast we can move, if we can't even land a hit on him, then he may as well be invincible. You know what I'm talking about. You have his left eye - the Eye of God's Will - Kamui."

Kakashi's breathing stilled as memories of his past were being dug up and flung in his face. Uchiha Obito had died for him. Uchiha Obito, whose eternal cheer and determination had left a deep imprint in Kakashi's mind. He would never forget Obito's sacrifice. How could he? Obito's left eye and the name that it had made for him - Kakashi of the Sharingan - served as a constant reminder of his teammate and friend - for there was no doubt, after what Obito had done, that Obito had been his friend. Those who abandoned their teammates were worse than trash. They were the scum of the Earth. Obito lived his own creed all the way to his death, and Kakashi would never forget it. _Never_. In terms of skill, power, and even social graces, Uchiha Obito had never been Kakashi's equal. Kakashi had once even caught Obito kissing a photograph of Rin, the third member of their team. In some ways, Obito had been pathetic, but in Kakashi's heart, Obito would always be his hero. The will to live and stand by one's impossible dreams and to never _never_ give up had inspired in him a worship of the image of his childhood friend, an ideal which he held upon a glorified pedestal in his psyche. To hear the name of Uchiha Obito be trod upon as an 'enemy' sparked a deep resentment within him.

Naruto waited. He'd just presented some facts which, from Kakashi's perspective, he could not possibly have known. Kakashi's eyes, both the dull grey and the gleaming red, narrowed into slits. "You lie."

Naruto scoffed. "My mother's name is Uzumaki Kushina. My father is Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, under whom you've been taught."

"You lie."

"Kakashi." Naruto's said impatiently. "You know I'm telling the truth. Just what the hell is your Sharingan for if you refuse to believe what you're seeing?"

Kakashi jammed his Chakra circuit. An Illusionist performed his techniques by discreetly mingling his own Chakra into his victim's Chakra system and overriding their senses. Illusions techniques could range from subtle tweaks to reality to the creation of entire alternate universes. A really good Illusionist was capable of trapping his target without his target's even being aware that they had been snared. The difficult part of escaping most Illusions is first detecting and recognizing that you had been trapped in one. After that, the process was simple: if one were to temporarily remove all traces of Chakra from one's body in one large burst, then any foreign Chakra will have been expelled with it, removing any Illusion that may have been cast. Of course, such a method had its flaws. It was impossible to remove all the Chakra from one's system. That would be suicide, but a quick flush was a good counter against most Illusions. If that failed, he still had the option of stabbing himself with a pointy object; physical pain brought a sort of clarity and was the universally standard option to combatting an Illusion.

There was a large swell of Chakra in the air as Kakashi expelled as much Chakra as he could from his system. His vision swam as his coils replaced itself with a new circulation of Chakra.

Naruto chuckled. "I can assure you I'm not an Illusion."

Kakashi reached quickly into his holster, deftly drawing a kunai and stabbing it into his upper arm. He grimaced in pain as blood began seeping out in droves from the fresh wound.

Naruto gazed on the self-inflicted wound in surprise. "To think you'd go so far. You're almost as bad the Nine-tails. He's having a pretty bad case of denial too."

"I don't believe you." Kakashi said desperately as he tried to avoid Naruto's attempt to heal him.

"Stop moving and making a fuss out of this. I don't want you bleeding to death, neither do you."

Unable to see a reason not to accept the help (and with the help of copious amounts of pain), Kakashi remained still, allowing the self-proclaimed time-traveler to seal up the wound almost instantaneously.

Naruto sighed. "Kakashi. The only Illusion that would work on your level of Sharingan is the Tsukuyomi, which you haven't even encountered yet."

"How?!" Kakashi whispered. "How is this possible?! How can Obito be alive?! How can you even know?!"

"Because I'm from the damned future. Is that so hard to believe?"

"How can you expect me to believe this?"

"Well. At first I expected you to do so once I gave you sufficient evidence, but apparently you aren't as logical as I'd thought you'd be."

"If Obito is alive, why didn't he return to the village? How did he become an enemy?"

"Kakashi." Sasuke's voice called from below. "We will discuss this when we're speaking with the Hokage."

"No. We will discuss this _now_." Kakashi glared at the boy who was claiming to have come from the future. The boy looked back at him with a patient and almost condescending expression, and his objection died. If what these kids were saying turned out to be true, then the contents of their discussion must be at least an A-ranked secret. Continuing their talk here in the open, then, would be incredibly unwise, and both self-proclaimed time travelers seemed to understand this. "I suppose we'd better report this to the Hokage then. Sakura. You should go home." Kakashi suggested tiredly. "I believe your involvement ends here. I'll come by later to tell you the plans I might have for your future… I have a feeling that this Genin team that I'm supposed to be leading will no longer be put together after today. I'm sorry."

The pinkette nodded in numb silence, not knowing what to say or think.

"Hey Sakura." Naruto said kindly. "We'll see you later. Tell your dad I said hi."

"Ok."

Naruto smiled brightly and waved. "Ja ne!"

Almost against her will, she automatically waved her own hand in farewell. "See you around!" She replied with as much cheer as she could muster.

Naruto nodded and leapt off the branch, and Kakashi followed suit.

They were joined briefly by Sasuke who looked up at her. "Stay safe."

"I will." Sakura smiled wanly, and the boy turned away.

"Let's go then."

* * *

Hiruzen sat behind his office desk through the entire telling without a word. His long life as a Shinobi and then as leader of the Hidden Leaf village had put him at the fore of nearly every piece of shocking news or event that went on in his village. The idea of a jutsu that allowed for something like this to happen wasn't entirely unfathomable. Konoha itself had archived several space-time jutsu ranging from the generic summoning technique to the Second Hokage's Flying Thunder God. The transferring of the human soul was also something he was personally capable of via techniques such as the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. Put a variation of the two together and you had the brand of time travel that was being proposed.

With sufficient evidence, he'd be a fool not to accept the truth; he wondered what this occurrence meant for the prepubescent children that had been supplanted by their older counterparts. Were they still alive somewhere inside their original bodies or had they been erased and their memories completely overwritten by the memories of these strangers from the future? Did that mean that the real Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke, the ones who had existed up until yesterday, were dead?

"And that is why," The blonde child was saying. "Letting the Sage of Six Paths take back all the powers he'd given us to bring us back into the past was probably the most stupid thing you've ever done. You didn't even ask me. We'd worked so hard to stabilize the new system, and everything was going so well..."

"Yeah." The Uchiha child smirked. "Because all it took was a war whose death toll was greater than that of all the other wars put together for it to happen. We have an opportunity to change that - to find a solution that doesn't require so many sacrifices."

Hiruzen puffed at his pipe, billowing smoke out in a stream.

Naruto took a quick glance at Kakashi. What kind of person would he become in this world? Even if they stopped Madara's plan, re-establishing the alliance would be beyond difficult; without a war and a common enemy, they would need other pretexts and methods to recreate the peace they'd achieved in another time. Then again, difficulty never stopped him before. There was no point worrying over what had happened now.

If dimensions were linear, then Sasuke had just erased an entire dimension of people. If dimensions were arranged in parallel with each possible divergence of choice representing a separate universe, then it was possible that his wife, his children and the world he'd worked to build still existed elsewhere. It was the main reason he'd managed to quell the murderous intent he'd felt the night before when he'd first heard the revelation. In a sense, Sasuke had been saved by the multiverse theory. "It'd be best if this information doesn't get out to those who don't absolutely need to know. There are spies in this village who could get this information into the wrong hands." said Naruto.

"I see." The Hokage murmured, his voice heavy. He took another drag from his pipe. "When do you plan on leaving?"

"In a few weeks."

Hiruzen sighed. "So I suppose I'll never get to see or talk to the twelve year old boy that you'd once been?"

Naruto grinned sadly. "Yeah sorry, old man. I really can't do anything about that. Twelve-year old Naruto is gone."

"I suppose all I can do is give my consent, whatever value that has. You have my approval." Hiruzen gave his pipe another puff. "Kakashi. The decision is yours."

Kakashi looked down at the pseudo-children. "It seems I have no real choice in this matter."

"Kakashi-sensei. Thank you." Said Naruto.

"The only condition I have is for you to bring him back. He's.. a valuable friend, even if he's strayed from his own ideals."

Naruto slapped a fist into an open palm. "That's what we plan to do. Don't worry. We'll take care of things. That's a promise."

"You shouldn't make promises so easily." Sasuke warned. "You should've learned better than to do that after you promised to bring me back to the village. Look at how much trouble that caused you… years of your life wasted chasing me."

"And worth every year of it." Naruto replied without hesitation. "If this meeting is done, then I have business at the Hyuuga Compound to attend to. It'll probably take me the rest of the day. Goodbye, old man. It was nice talking to you again."

"Naruto.' Sasuke called out at the back of his retreating friend.

Naruto stopped and turned. "Yeah?"

"Don't do anything brash."

"Of course not." Naruto replied smoothly. "Since when have I ever been anything but meticulously careful?" Even as he claimed otherwise, Naruto began to recall some of the times when he'd done some pretty crazy things... like break into Kumo to visit Killer Bee, causing security alerts to almost spark an international conflict. Other similar such memories also began cropping up, one following another. Forcing his friend, Gaara, on a blind, surprise date; putting political rivals in the same room and making them talk out their differences and hoping things would work out; flirting with Mei Terumi during his teen years as part of a challenge; hosting and then joining a Ramen-eating contest; arguing unabashedly with Hinata's father; threatening the Hyuuga elders and almost ruining the Fifth Hokage's efforts at smashing the Hyuuga Branch system. Naruto rolled his eyes at himself. "Eh. You're right. I can be pretty brash. But hey. Sometimes being brash works out." He grinned sheepishly. "Seeya." The cheery blonde turned on his feet and bounded out the door, leaving the atmosphere in the room feeling slightly heavier than before.

Kakashi looked down at the remaining self-proclaimed time-traveler and sighed. "Well. Let's get to it then. I hope your eyes are as good as Obito's."

"Of course. You can't use the Kamui very well anyway. One of my eyes will suit you better." Sasuke smirked before turning his attention to the Hokage's desk. "Hokage-sama. We'll be leaving then."

Hiruzen chewed at his pipe, and swallowed another lungful of smoke. "I wish you the best of luck. Kakashi. Be sure to talk to Haruno Sakura by the end of today. Loathe as I am to say it, you are correct in that Team 7 will no longer be formed. However. It was my successor's wish that you were to eventually take on a Genin-team. While you won't be leading a Genin-team, you are still an acting Jonin-teacher. You will personally train Haruno Sakura. Find out her skills, her weaknesses and her strengths. Do what you can to harness them to the best of your ability. Yes." The old man mused to himself. "That is the best option. Remember, Kakashi. They are the next" The old man drew a puff from his pipe. "-the next generation. They will be what will define our village. I expect only your utmost dedication to your Genin's education."

"Yes Hokage-sama."

"Then you are dismissed."

The two Sharingan users bowed in unison and promptly departed.

Alone once more, the old Kage refilled his pipe and lit it with a flicker of fire from between his fingers. It was days like these that he was glad for his drug habit; it really took the edge off of the strangeness of it all. Time travel… Hiruzen chuckled at the thought as he contemplated how lucky the two boys were to have been given this second chance. How lucky they were, to be given the opportunity to repeat their youth, to start over and to fix all their previous mistakes. What he would've given for that same opportunity.

Hiruzen took several more deep drags, letting the drug calm his mind. Once he had been strong, so powerful among his peers that people started calling him the God of Shinobi. Now, he wasn't even at a fraction of his old strength. It was a pity. To those who cared to listen, he blamed his age for his body's deterioration, but in his heart, he knew that the main cause of his severely diminished capabilities was the result of long years of substance abuse. In fact, it was only his status as a Shinobi of high calibre that had allowed his body to withstand the constant application of poison he'd put it through. Chakra was amazing like that.

If he could start as a child again, the first thing he'd do would be to quit his smoking habit… or could he really call it quitting if he never started? He couldn't say. All he knew at the moment was that he was feeling high as a Hyuuga on freedom. "Huh." Hiruzen huffed, causing a handful of smoke to hang above his head. Hyuugas in general weren't very free were they? A bunch of birds they were, trapped in cages they'd built around themselves. How sad. Maybe he should try to do something about it. Not that he could really, but an intoxicated old man could dream.

Hiruzen inhaled another dose, then he rang a bell, and an assistant poked her head through his door. "Hokage-sama?"

"I'm ready. Call in the next bunch." He looked down at his schedule. "Chuunin Team 2 was it?"

"Yes Hokage-sama, I'll usher them in right away." The assistant vanished.

Hiruzen sat back and relaxed as he waited for the group to come in. Maybe he wouldn't quit. The relaxation his pipe afforded him was too valuable to just forgo. If anything, he should see it as giving his body an extra half a century of poison endurance. His thoughts scrambled as three beautiful women walked through the door.

He blinked, flushing his mind with Chakra, and the image was gone, replaced by three men wearing the green colors of the standard Chuunin flak jacket and gear.

The lead man bowed, and Hiruzen blinked another time, causing the man to once again take on a more shapely form. Hiruzen puffed happily at his pipe as the words of the usual status report filtered from the woman's mouth in a deep, baritone voice. Hallucinogens were the best.

* * *

Author's Note: Feeling bummed and not up to writing these days.. I did somehow manage to put this together though so there's that. I was so immensely dissatisfied with nearly everything I wrote for this chapter that I ended up throwing away several draft scenes that I didn't like. Hopefully, future chapters won't be as painful to write. I'm taking an afternoon nap. Buh-bye.


	9. Chapter 9

!passiveaggressiveNote: I've been actually sleeping on a decent schedule these past few nights with a few hours of catch-up sleep in the afternoons. The next academic quarter will be starting in a few days, and I'm glad my clock-cycle for sleep has been adjusted back to normal. Let's hope it stays that way. *wink

* * *

Her eyes opened to the sight of glow-in-the-dark paint, blaring a set of characters in her face.

' **Uzumaki Naruto was here** '

That couldn't be right.

She blinked.

' **Uzumaki Naruto was here** '.

That was odd. Maybe she'd been thinking about him too much lately. She _had_ used him to get through the previous night with her father after all.

Hinata sat up and got dressed. Then she looked back up to the ceiling. The words were still there...

Her heart skipped a beat.

 _?!_

She began racing through several possibilities before fixating on the one explanation that made most sense.

Uzumaki Naruto had committed another prank; he'd finally noticed that she'd been stalking him, and had snuck into her room and pranked her. Hinata felt a sinking sensation of sudden anxiety, and began to pace the room, words of apology cropping up in her head. _Naruto-kun. You work so hard and you inspire me so I couldn't help but stalk - observe! you. Naruto-kun. Remember when you fought those bullies? I still have the scarf you gave me! I'll give it back to you! I'm sorry for being creepy! Naruto-kun. I'm sorry for stalking you. I didn't intend for it to get so far! Naruto-kun. I didn't mean to follow you around. You just never gave up and I looked up to you and you're my hero!_

She poked her forefingers together and glared down at her sleeping mat. Noticing that her blankets were messy, she picked them up, smoothing and then folding them over before placing them squarely at the head of her sleeping mat.

Then, quietly retrieving her clothes, she made her way out of her room and down the hallway toward the washroom.

Just imagining herself speaking those words of apology brought blood rushing to her cheeks. There was no way she could say any of that to him. They sounded more like lame half-excuses, and she would be equally lame to utter them.

"What do I do?" She asked herself nervously. "What do I do?!"

* * *

When she came out of the washroom sufficiently clean, dressed and presentable, the skies were still dark. She wandered back to her room, retrieving a few items to keep her warm and proceeded to walk through the silent and empty halls of the building complex. White paper doors and wooden walls surrounded her on every turn until she reached the training yard, where the walls disappeared and were replaced by the sky and the morning air.

Hinata paused at the threshold of the open area, the interior of the clan compound a dark void behind her.

It seemed Naruto had infiltrated the entire compound. She'd spotted several repeated highlights of ' **Uzumaki Naruto was here** ' in similarly bright neon letters on several surfaces, even in the washroom itself; the prank had apparently been impersonal. Hinata didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Still, he'd been in her room. She wondered what he thought of it. Was it dull or uninteresting? Did he like its cleanliness?

Taking a breath, she walked through the pristine morning air, stopping in the middle of the training yard. She took another slow breath, feeling her lungs expand and retract. Not a single ache remained from the day before. She would have to thank Ko later for healing her.

Bending her knees and planting her feet firmly on the grass, Hinata took one of the opening stances of the Gentle Fist before beginning the swirling pattern of martial movement that she had learned from her father. As leader of the Hyuuga, her father's martial prowess among their clanspeople had been exceptional. Even to the clan elders, Hyuuga Hiashi was respected and feared. That respect, however, rarely translated into any sort of love. The man could be harsh and sometimes even condescending in the way he interacted with those he deemed unworthy, and he wasn't alone.

The Hyuuga were known for their arrogance and looked down on many who weren't a part of the clan. In return, many who looked in from the outside despised the Hyuuga. Even within the clan itself, there existed a very distinct hierarchy of superiority. The Hyuuga clan's overbearing sense of self worth was the reason why, half a lifetime ago, a group of children had approached her, called her a 'snotty Hyuuga', and proceeded to push her around; they'd taken an opportunity that they'd never have gotten on a weaker looking member of the condescending clan. She'd been only five at the time, but she would hold that first meeting in her memories forever.

Children were incredibly impressionable, and being called a snotty Hyuuga had changed how she'd thought about her family. Where a Hyuuga was supposed to be proud of her lineage, the incident had made her meek, afraid to speak about her family. Where her Father wanted her to be strong, the incident had made her prefer weakness. If she were weak, then she wouldn't be haughty, and people wouldn't despise her for being a 'snotty Hyuuga'.

Hinata stopped to a rest, completing the last of her exercise.

"You're up early." A voice noted, causing her to jump.

Hinata looked around and saw her cousin, the genius of the Hyuuga clan, enter the training yard. She couldn't quite make out what he was wearing, but it didn't look very warm.

"Neji nii-san…" Hinata bowed at the older boy.

"Princess." Neji uttered casually to her discomfort. He gave a mock bow. "What brings you to the training yard at this hour?"

Hinata stared down, unable to meet her cousin's piercing gaze as he seemed to analyze her every fault. She was up because Ko had put her to bed hours before the time she usually turned in. Her body had needed the rest. What about Neji? Was her cousin always up this early? Forgoing her questions, she answered with a simple mutter. "Training…"

"Training." Neji repeated flatly as if he didn't believe her. "I watched your father train you yesterday."

Hinata nodded as words tumbled mechanically from her mouth. "It is my duty as the future clan head to train and become strong."

"Your duty.." Neji said, his voice still flat. "Is that why you stood?"

"Pardon?"

"Surely you realize that your father, my uncle, had no intention of teaching you." The boy indicated the pressure point on his chest near his heart. "You were struck here two hundred and seventy times. How can you call that training? Explain to me, Princess."

"I... I don't know." Hinata mumbled, staring at her cousin's shadowy outline.

"If he was training you he would have corrected your mistakes. Show me your posture." Neji dropped his hands low to the ground, his stance predatory and flawless.

Hinata did the same, extending her arms forward and activating her Byakugan.

And then he was upon her, closing the distance between them in one smooth motion and shooting several quick jabs to her body, closing off an equal number of pressure points.

"You're full of openings." The boy said in a neutral tone. "If you cannot reach your opponent, wait and strike when he reaches for you. Attack me!"

The attempt she made was easily thwarted. Neji batted her wrists away in much the same way her father had done the previous night. She couldn't hit him, as usual. Every time she was about to land a blow, one would strike her first.

"Your limbs are shorter than mine, Princess. Strike at what you can reach."

She felt several more painful strikes cramp her shoulders and suddenly, she lost use of her left arm. An arm stretched forward to deliver a last blow, this time straight to her heart. Instinctively, she raised her right wrist, pinning two fingers into the boy's forearm and stopping the strike. She did the same to the next strike and the next.

And then her cousin picked up the pace, his fingers blurring at her with a speed she could not hope to match and, in a slip of concentration, her defenses were broken, causing her to receive a series of blows. As she fell to the earth, Hinata silently thanked the fact that her cousin had not infused Chakra into his fingers when striking her pressure points like her father had.

"Get up. You're not using your elbows correctly, and your stance is too rigid."

She looked up at her cousin's silhouette. Nearby, she could hear the first of the birds begin to wake. "Are you always up at this time, Neji nii-san?" She asked quietly.

"Unfailingly. Now get up."

Hinata tried and failed to stand on her feet. She didn't know how to unblock her pressure points.. That was something only few could do and was the prelude to the high-level rotation technique - Kaiten - that very few of her clan would ever be capable of, and she was not one of those few. "I can't."

He put his hands under her arms and propped her up. Just as she was about to flop back down, he stabbed her on every single pressure point that he'd hit earlier, landing a dozen blows in a second. Hinata stood to her feet, suddenly able to move again.

"Show me your posture."

She did. She couldn't see her cousin's expression in the dark, but if she could, she imagined him to be frowning. Neji frowned a lot.

"Extend your elbow when you strike. The structure from your elbow to your shoulder should be solid - the foundation from which your wrists should spring, like a snake from the grass. And Princess? I can counter any strike you land on me by sending bursts of Chakra through my pressure points." Hinata gave an involuntary gasp of surprise. "Yes. I can do that. Even if you put Chakra into your fingertips, you won't be able to harm me. I suggest you take this chance: practice using your Chakra to strike a real, moving target." The silhouette once again became the shadowy outline of a perfect Gentle Fist stance. "Hold nothing back."

* * *

As the morning progressed, a dim visibility lit the training yard almost imperceptibly and with it, her vision of her cousin's visage. Neji was frowning, just as she'd imagined. She was unsure how long they'd been practicing in the yard, but her cousin had drilled her hard. With her hands on her knees, she breathed, letting her lungs take in precious breaths of air.

"You've improved, if only just slightly."

"Thank you." She said, straightening and meeting Neji's eyes like she was supposed to. "For training with me, Neji nii-san." She bowed.

The frown vanished for just an instant. "You would've been better off as a Branch member." The boy said offhandedly. The implication of him being more fit as the Main branch heir went unspoken, and Hinata found that she didn't care. They were practically siblings. There was no reason to let the clan's branch dichotomy drive them apart.

"Maybe, but I don't think-"

"Lord Hiashi." Neji interrupted loudly, bowing quickly

Hinata looked around in surprise to find her father standing behind her. Her breath caught. How long had her father been standing there?!

There was an excruciating space of silence as Hinata waited with a horrible anticipation for the words of admonishment that would inevitably come from her father's mouth.

"Neji." The man said impassively. He put his hands in a single seal and suddenly, her cousin was rolling on the dirt of the training ground, barely containing his cry of agony as he held his hand to his head where the Seal of the Caged Bird was scrawled.

Hinata stood riveted as she watched her powerful and dignified cousin - the Hyuuga genius - reduced to a writhing wreck - like an insect with its wings torn from its back. She wanted to help him, to stop her father from doing this. Her cousin hadn't done anything wrong! "Father-!"

"Hinata. Do you think my lessons to you inadequate?"

"No father, but-!"

"Your actions belie your words, daughter. If you believe my teachings in the arts of the Gentle Fist to be such that you have to resort to learning from another, then I think our sessions will have to be lengthened to acommodate."

"Yes father." She heard herself say numbly. What was she doing? She should be helping Neji! Her cousin was still rolling in place, growling like an animal as he suffered what she knew must be incredible pain.

"Hyuuga Neji. Never forget that my daughter is your superior. Acting or suggesting otherwise can be taken as a sign of mutiny. As a Branch member, you understand what that means do you not?"

A barely bit out answer of "Yes" crawled out of the boy's mouth, and suddenly, he was released from his pain. Holding himself up on his hands and knees, Neji stared down into the dirt, the recent pain leaving him gasping in shock.

"You will know your place." Hiashi said sharply, his eyes locked on those of his daughter's, and Hinata knew, in that instant, that those words were meant as much for her, as clan heir, as for her lower-ranked cousin.

"If you are required for my daughter's training, I will request your assistance, but otherwise, you will leave her training to me. Do you understand?"

There was another instance of silence during which Neji made no response. Hiashi raised his hand in another seal, and Neji once again collapsed into the dirt, hands held over his head as he grunted in pain. Then. as briefly as it had happened, the activation of the Caged Bird Seal subsided, leaving Neji laying on his side breathing shallowly.

"Do you understand?" Father repeated.

"Yes, Hiashi-sama." Neji replied instantly.

"Repeat what I said to me."

"Hinata-sama is my superior. I will know my place as a member of the Branch family, and I will be of assistance only when I am needed."

The man looked grimly at his nephew before shooting his gaze back at his daughter. "I believe you will be meeting with your team today. Have you eaten?"

"No father."

"Then I suggest you prepare yourself. It would be foolish to engage in strenuous physical activity without proper sustenance."

"Yes father." Hinata replied, keeping her eyes on target. The skin between her father's eyes creased slightly as he glanced back at Neji, allowing her to break eye contact and quickly do the same. The boy was still laying on his side, trembling with anger, fear or relief she could not say.

"Since you seem so eager for training," Hiashi said calmly, returning his gaze and forcing her to do the same. "I believe I will be extending our evening session. I would not have my daughter think her father, the head of clan, to be a lesser teacher than her cousin now, would I?"

Not knowing how to answer the rhetorical question, Hinata simply bowed, her eyes sliding down to the man's feet. "Yes father."

She stared at his toes for several moments. He was wearing the usual sandals. His feet were enveloped by white socks and his big toe was split off from the rest by the design of the footwear, and Hinata blankly thought about the fact that she hadn't seen her father's feet in a long time.

The foot rescinded into the building, followed by the other as they padded silently and gracefully away. The first of the Sun started to peak from the horizon as Hinata rushed to her cousin. It made her feel uneasy whenever she saw her father use his position like he had this morning. The Caged Bird Seal was a method by which members of the Main House controlled the members of the lower house. Dissent could and was easily punished with pain and a looming threat of death. It was one of the reasons she'd persisted. Once she became clan head, all of that would change. No more Caged Bird Seals. No more leashes. "Neji nii-san are you-?"

"I don't need your pity, Princess." Her cousin straightened, all signs of his previous torment hidden well under a face of impassivity.

She winced and looked down, unable to think of what to say that wouldn't sound empty or uncaring. She _did_ care.

Staring down at her cousin's sandals, Hinata was made distinctly aware that Neji was waiting for her to speak whatever it was she wanted to say to him. She wanted to comfort him. To tell him that her father was wrong. That she would never do such a thing to him. She would change the branch system. That she was grateful for his training, despite what her father had said. That she was sorry that he'd had to suffer because of her.

Nothing came out of her mouth, and after another moment, her cousin snorted and left without a word, leaving her to stare at the spot where his feet had been.

* * *

"Good morning, Kurenai-sensei."

"Oh, you're the first to arrive. I see we share the same philosophy.. never hurts to be early right?" The dark-haired woman smiled, her red eyes shining with bright lustre. Yuuhi Kurenai struck an impressive figure; the Illusion Mistress of the Hidden Leaf, Jonin and leader of Genin Team eight.

"Yes, sensei."

"Well.. nothing to do now but to wait for the boys to get here. What'd you have for breakfast?"

* * *

Inuzuka Kiba was every bit as loud and spiky-haired as she remembered him; Akamaru was every bit as cute.

"Yo!" The boy yelled energetically. The white puppy on his head barked.

"Good morning, Kiba-san, Akamaru." Hinata mumbled, knowing that he Inuzuka would be able to hear her with his extrasensory aural abilities..

"You're late, Kiba." Kurenai said with a tone of voice which promised punishment

Her other teammate, Aburame Shino stood stoically with his face behind high collars and his eyes hidden behind dark shades. No greeting from him was forthcoming.

"Um.. sorry. Akamaru. He um. Didn't want to come. Yeah. It took me all morning to drag him out of bed man!"

"Right." Kurenai remarked. "Well, we're on a tight schedule, so I want to begin immediately. First.."

"Excuse me, sensei?"

"Yes, Shino?"

"When will our session terminate? Why do I ask? My clan's rite of passage for my graduation will occur this afternoon. I hope to avoid a time conflict."

"Oh we'll be done before noon… if the three of you manage to work together well enough."

Shino nodded and went back to being silent.

"For now," The Illusion Mistress continued. "I have some training drills I'd like to see you three work through. It'll give me a showcase of each of your skills in addition to allowing me to gauge your strengths and weaknesses while working under-"

"Ah you don't have to give me any explanations! I'm ready for anything! Bring it!" Kiba shouted. Akamaru barked, his ears pointed up in excitement.

"Inuzuka Kiba." The Illusion Mistress turned her glowing red eyes at the suddenly terrified boy. "Akamaru." She added in afterthought. Akamaru's ears fell flat.

"Don't interrupt me again." The Illusion Mistress said to the contrite puppy and boy duo. "And Akamaru. You will not cause Kiba to be late tomorrow. Am I clear?"

Akamaru whined and Kiba had the grace to look guilty.

Hinata looked away and suppressed a giggle.

Giggling was undignified behavior and would do harm to her family's reputation. Or so her father had said. It was better to not risk it.

* * *

"You did well today. All three of you."

Kiba cheered, and Hinata even managed a smile. Shino remained unfazed and stoic, but if he were anyone else, Hinata was sure he'd be happy too. Aside from the few small conflicts between the two boys, they'd managed to pull through.

"We wouldn't have been able to do it without Hinata!" Kiba opined loudly. "If it weren't for her, Shino would've gone off and screwed everything up!"

The Aburame boy furrowed his eyebrows, the only feature on his face that he changed when emoting. "I agree that Hinata was integral in the cohesion of our teamwork today."

Hinata looked down and pushed her forefingers together shyly at the praise. She didn't know what to say, and she rarely received praise. Really, she hadn't done much, only asked her teammates to work together to reach their objectives.

"However," Shino continued. "I believe it is you, Kiba, who refuses to work with me and my Kikaichu."

"YEAH?! Well if I ever catch you putting bugs on me OR Akamaru again, I'll bury you alive! Do you know how disgusting they are?! Just because you're hiding it under all those clothes, doesn't mean I don't know that you run a hive in there. You Aburame are all disgusting!"

Kurenai sighed. Even though they'd managed to complete the exercise, they would still need some work. She saw promise in them. With the Inuzuka's incredible senses of smell and hearing, the Aburame's far-ranging bugs and the Hyuuga's Byakugan, they made an impressive tracking team.

"As I said, all three of you did well today, and I'd like us to leave on a positive note. Why don't we call it a day? We'll be meeting back here at the same time tomorrow." The woman smiled threateningly. "And tardiness will not be tolerated, understood?"

Kiba nodded. "You hear that, Akamaru? Tardiness won't be- AH! Ow!ow!ow! Akamaru, don't bite me! Ow! I get it! I'm sorry! I was the one who couldn't get up! I admit it! Ow! Stop!"

Hinata began to giggle despite herself.

To her side, Shino looked on without uttering a sound or making any change in his facial expression.

Hinata decided that she liked her teammates.

* * *

"Hinata-sama." Ko smiled kindly as they walked away from the training ground. "It seems you've performed well with your team today. Your Jonin leader was very impressed. Your father would be proud." Even as he said those last words, he knew them to be untrue. It was unlikely that her father would ever be proud of her. Ko quickly changed the subject. "We have the afternoon before us. I could take you home, or would you like to go somewhere else?"

Hinata ducked her head in thought. Return home, where her father's watchful eyes resided? Or go somewhere else?

* * *

They'd wandered aimlessly through the village, absorbing various sights in a gross waste of time that Ko was sure Leader Hiashi would be disgusted to hear about.. If he were to ever hear about it that is. The omission would be his own act of rebellion against the Clan leader. He would obey the man in all other things, but when it came to raising the Hyuuga heiress, Ko disagreed with just about every part of his Clan leader's methods. He knew he would not be able to interfere with tonight's 'training session', but he could at least afford his charge this brief respite.

And so he'd spent the afternoon tailing his charge, following at a short distance and sometimes ducking away to take a look inside a few shops and venues. He didn't want to be too overbearing, and even if he let her wander off, he could always find her easily with his Byakugan. She led him through the village, visiting several areas including the academy, a small training area near an isolated river surrounding, a ramen stand, and finally through a rundown looking neighborhood where she stopped to stare up at one particular apartment complex from behind a lamppost.

Periodically activating his doujutsu as he shopped, he found her still peering out from behind that lamppost. Having been her attendant and watched her most of her life, he knew of her… habits, and despite his best efforts to persuade her of otherwise, Hinata stubbornly continued to follow the boy like a moth to a flame. It wasn't that Uzumaki Naruto was a bad person. When he'd first made the girl's inclinations clear to his Leader, the man had warned him to keep Hinata away from the village pariah. Not because he was the vessel of the Nine-tails, but because of his low standing in the village.

"Looking to buy anything?" The grocer before him suddenly asked

Deactivating his Byakugan, Ko focused his attention back to his immediate surroundings and picked up a peach. "How much for two?"

* * *

"N-naruto-kun?!" Hinata stuttered, her face becoming a warm hue of color as she entered her room. It was almost dinner-time. What was he doing in the Hyuuga compound? What was he doing in her room?! Him of all people...

The boy looked down at her from the ceiling and waved. "Hi! Just um. Cleaning up my mess here. That Hiashi-teme is keeping me here 'til midnight to make me clean everything up and he won't even let me use my shadow clones." The boy turned back to continue wiping away at the spot on her ceiling with a piece of cloth. "Geez. I shouldn't have used such strong paint."

 _Hiashi-teme?_ Did Naruto just call her father a… a-

Naruto looked back at her, making her heart jump. "You have a nice room, Hinata-chan. It's really neat. I could never get my room to be this clean." Naruto laughed lightly. "But then again I never tried. When I get back, I'm going to make my room just as neat as yours even if it takes me all night!"

Hinata blushed and prodded her fingers together, not sure of what to say in response to the rare, blatant praise that she was receiving. "Thank you?" She managed to squeak, and immediately hated the sound of her own voice. Why did she have to be so shy?

"Um." Her hero said in a sheepish manner. "This will take me a while so you can come in and just ignore me. I'll try not to bother you."

"Ok." Hinata mumbled and moved to her desk, trying to think of something to do. Pulling out her old academy textbook, she poured through its pages unthinkingly before finally pinpointing something that maybe could occupy her time; she was painfully aware of the person above her head. He was not just any person too. He was Uzumaki Naruto, her hero. Her inspiration. And he was here right above her.

What were the chances of him cleaning and just happening to be in her room as she came in? There were hundreds of ' **Uzumaki Naruto was here** ' sprawled all throughout the compound. If he was here, then had that prank really been impersonal? He didn't actually know that she _stalked_ him right?

"N-naruto-kun?"

"Hm?"

"I-" _I stalk you. Have you noticed?_ She slammed her book shut and stood to her feet. "I have to go!"

"Huh?" Naruto looked down. "Ok."

Without another word, she hurried out of her room, almost not even hearing the words "See you later! Hinata-chan!" floating out from behind her. Maybe she'd go see how her little sister, Hanabi, was doing. Why was she running away? Why was she so pathetic? Hinata clenched her fists tightly in shame as she walked swiftly down the halls in search of her little sister who she could see was (thankfully) far from her room on the other side of the compound.

Alone once more, Naruto heaved a small sigh from where he stood on the ceiling. Then, with a single swipe, he erased the rest of his name from the wooden surface.

* * *

Author's Note: What better music to listen to while writing a Naruto fanfic than music written by the amazing Toshio Masuda? Masuda-sama! You're the greatest!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I am a stegosaurus

* * *

He'd started dating her when he was nineteen. Hinata had only been two months younger. The fact that he had been older of than his wife was a subject that rarely came up or had any significance to their everyday lives.

Now they were twelve, both too young, in his opinion, to engage in any sort of romance. In fact, he hadn't even started puberty yet. He was literally a child. Romantic relationships between children… Naruto shivered. _Too early. Not yet_.

Even his own kids wouldn't be allowed to engage in such relationships until.. well, until they seemed less like kids and more like adults. Hinata had agreed.. after pointing out that he had been asking girls (Sakura specifically) to dates long before he'd even graduated from the Academy. It was a platonic child's crush! He'd said. He hadn't known at the time, and he'd only wanted to date Sakura so that he could show up Sasuke!

Hinata had given him a knowing smile, a hug and a gentle reminder to not be too oppressive or high-handed with his interference in their children's future romantic lives.

Gods he loved her. Even now, in his child's body, he could feel the same love from the bottommost recesses of his heart. It wasn't the hot, passionate sort of love that plagued the relationships of most younger couples. At least most of the time. If he had to make an analogy, the love was more like the fire that kept him warm during a freezing blizzard or like water that kept him cool in a dry desert storm. No matter his temperament, he could always find comfort and solace in the fact that he had her. That he loved her. It was the same with his children.

Boruto, who always couldn't wait for his father to return home. Himawari, who was small and sweet with her mother's mellow temperament and quiet smile.. he would never truly be with them again. Not in this world. Even Hinata, the girl that he'd loved and the woman that he'd married, wasn't the same. This Hinata, this thirteen year old child that she was now, was not the same person. She wasn't his wife, no matter what he'd called her aloud to Sasuke. The entire world that he'd worked for, the progress and the amazing developments that he'd seen in his time were now nil. All he had left now were his memories of that time, and he held on to them - those memories - with the desperation of a waking mind clinging to the fading wisps of a beautiful dream.

As he thought, Naruto scrubbed furiously at the glowing letters of his own name, doing his best to prolong the removal process. Outside, the dim light of the setting Sun had all but vanished. Dinnertime had long since begun and ended.. and he was still here. Why was he doing this? Why was he here? She wasn't even the same. She wasn't _his_ Hinata, but someone else entirely. He was imposing himself on a girl that he didn't even love.

He didn't love her. That discovery hadn't hit him as much as he'd thought it would; he'd known all along.

Even Hinata herself, at least the one of this time, hadn't really started to love him either. At least not yet, and if she did, then she didn't really know of it yet either. She'd admired him sure, but it was an admiration she'd held long before she'd even entered the Academy, an admiration that began when she'd only been a small, five year old child.

It was only ten years after they'd first met - when he'd been lying at the center of what had been the Hidden Leaf village with six metal rods stabbed into his body and pinning him to the dust - when Nagato had been on the brink of victory and he, Naruto, on the brink of death, had she discovered that she'd loved him.

From her retelling of that moment, staring in the face of a world without Uzumaki Naruto for her had been like staring into a world without color or meaning. She couldn't bear imagine it. She couldn't bear a world without him, a world without the Sun to warm her and a world where he wasn't there for her to look to and to follow. Such had been the thoughts of her teenaged self at the time. That was when she'd discovered that she'd loved him more than she'd loved anything. If her hero - her love - was going to die, then she would at least let him know what she'd felt for him, even if it cost her her own life. Even if she'd lived, she'd have to live without him, and that would have been unthinkable.

So, to the great horror of all those who'd treasured her life and all those who'd held hopes and aspirations for her future - her family, her friends and even Naruto himself, Hinata had knowingly tossed her life away to fulfill that last, selfish desire to take what she'd thought would be the last chance she'd ever get to say everything that she'd always wanted to say to him.

Listening to his wife (still girlfriend at the time) apologize for being selfish as she'd recounted her past, Naruto had been unable to help but kiss her and love her. If he'd had to describe it, he'd call it obsessive, and if she hadn't been shy, Naruto was sure that her obsession could have manifested in scarier ways. But she'd waited for years and years, always supporting him, always there for him and willing to quietly give her everything for him without expecting anything back. He _belonged_ to that Hinata; he belonged to her quiet, shy confidence and her immutable love.

And this Hinata.. the thirteen year old child that he almost didn't know.. she wasn't the same. Loathe as he was to think it, it was the uncompromising truth. He didn't belong to her. He didn't feel the same affection for this child as he had for his Hinata.

So what was he doing here? He'd already been in the Hyuuga compound for hours, and at the rate he was setting himself, he would be here when everyone had gone to bed.

 _Why?_

To love another in the same way that he'd loved his wife was something he didn't feel possible. If he didn't love this Hinata and she didn't love him, then it would be better if he didn't insert himself into this girl's life.

So what was he doing in the Hyuuga compound, pushing himself closer to her like this?

The girl he'd first dated had been nineteen...

"Again!" The sound of Hiashi's loud, commanding voice sounded mutedly to his supersensitive ears, and Naruto sighed. He moved on to another segment of wall where his name glowed brightly ' **Uzumaki Naruto was here!** '. Inside the nearby dojo, he could hear Hinata's cries of effort as she trained with her father.

Hinata.. not _his_ Hinata, but another girl entirely.

* * *

"Again!"

Hinata breathed desperately for air, her body shook traitorously as she settled into a haphazard stance once more.

She thought about the pain of childbirth, and how mothers supposedly suffered more pain than most will ever have to feel. If a woman could lay for nearly half a day on her children's birth-bed, then she could definitely weather the pain and exhaustion she was feeling.

Hinata careened toward her father.

An arm instantly shot forward toward her heart. By reflex, she parried the blow and several more. After a short series of exchanges, a foot landed in her stomach and she flew into the air before landing hard on her back.

"Again!"

Hinata coughed. Was it supposed to hurt this much? She didn't know. But a woman giving birth probably hurt more than she did. Besides, Naruto wouldn't have given up. He would've never given up.

Forty minutes into her session, Hinata stumbled forward. In another time, her endurance would have succumbed, her thoughts filled only with the futility of her resistance, that she wasn't learning anything like her cousin had told her.

The part of her that told her that this was endurance training would have been overruled by the part that told her that her father merely wanted an excuse to beat her. The other part, the part that held on to the image of Naruto covering himself as others kicked him, would have also been ruthlessly crushed by her body's desire to escape the bouts of mind-numbing pain.

She was tired. She was hurt, but outside, her Byakugan allowed her to see _him_. She'd followed him all evening, watching as he moved from room to room in his usual fashion, undeterred by the daunting nature of his task of removing hundreds of lines of difficult paint. His determination drove her. To see her hero in her sights made her feel as if he was watching her, and if he was, then she wouldn't disappoint him, even if he wasn't really watching. If he could endure twelve hours of mindless cleaning, she could endure an hour or two of mindless suffering.

And so, for an indeterminate length of time, she'd withstood her father's training, bearing it so well that when she'd stood for what felt like the millionth time, she almost didn't even register the curt nod or the look of disapproval as her father initiated the end of the evening bout. He'd exacted a mechanical promise from her to return the next evening. Then, Hyuuga Hiashi turned on his feet, walking away with swift, graceful steps.

Hinata collapsed the moment his eyes left her, not even waiting for him to exit the dojo first, and like he had on the night before, Ko came rushing in. Ko… the thought of her attendant gave her comfort as she lapsed into darkness, her last thought being an image of her hero, scrubbing away at one of the walls just outside the dojo.

Then, against Ko's soft words of comfort, her Byakugan faded and she saw no more.

* * *

"Hey! Is she ok? She looks hurt."

Ko smiled down at the concerned child. "She'll be fine." He hefted his charge more comfortably on his back and continued toward her room.

"Wait!"

Ko stopped and turned, wondering what it was that the child wanted.

The child's gaze rested on his charge, his expression one of utmost seriousness and sincerity as he walked toward them. "Let me heal her." The child extended an arm forward, his hands reaching toward the unconscious girl.

 _Heal her?!_ Ko thought numbly in his head. A child at that age shouldn't have any sort of skill in Iryoninjutsu or the Mystical Palms of Healing. Even if the boy had started practicing at a young age - and Ko was sure he hadn't - Ko's level of skill should still far exceed that of the boy's.

It was better if he'd just take her back to her room and heal the girl himself.

Maybe it was curiosity or maybe it was the fact that this was the boy that Hinata followed that was giving him pause as he considered the boy's request. What did he think of this girl who so adored him? Was he worth the time she'd spent following him? Did the boy really know Iryoninjutsu?

Before he could think things through completely, the boy's hand reached its target.

Ko's first thought was of the warmth and hope that resonated in his heart, calming him from whatever negative reaction he would have made otherwise. His second thought was that the color of the Chakra was wrong. It wasn't green, but a bright, flaming sun of brilliant orange-yellow, and it was flowing directly into his charge's body. _The Nine-tail's Chakra_. Ko froze in place. It was the Chakra of the evil creature that the boy held inside him was being transmitted into the girl on his back. Even with the soothing aura bathing them, such an aura could have been the result of an Illusion. He shouldn't let the boy do this. His senses disagreed. He felt energized, like he could run forever and ever, face any challenge, fight any foe… what was this feeling? There was a glimmer of something else underlying the sudden vitality.. a sort of deep, comforting affection. What a strange feeling. Suddenly, his charge's soft, soft voice spoke from beside his ear.

"Ko?"

The aura disappeared.

"Hinata-sama!" Ko quickly put her down as he realized what he'd just allowed happen to his charge. What had he been thinking?! Angrily, he checked her to make sure that she wasn't hurt. His eyes ran up and down her body. He couldn't find anything. She was perfectly fine. He breathed a sigh and let his Byakugan subside.

"Ko? What's happening? Why are you..." The girl trailed off as she noticed the boy beside her, and her voice raised half an octave. "Naruto-kun?!"

"Ah.." Naruto ran a hand against the back of his head. "I didn't mean to worry you."

Hinata stared at her hero in confusion before realizing that he'd been talking to Ko and not her.

"What did you do to her?" Ko asked.

"I healed her."

"You healed her? How?"

"Ah!" Naruto exclaimed. "I should get back to cleaning." He waved as he began walking away. "Bye!"

Hinata watched as her hero retreated, her own words of 'Goodbye' hanging at the tip of her tongue. Her lips froze together and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. All she had to do was open her mouth. Why couldn't she? Why was this so hard?

"Hinata-sama. I'll be taking my leave then. Good night."

The man bowed and departed.

"Good night, Ko." She said quietly after a moment. " _Sayonara_."

* * *

"Uzumaki Naruto. If you are ever found trespassing in our compound again, there will be dire consequences."

Naruto shook his head. "I can't make any promises."

"Then the consequences will be yours to suffer." Hiashi turned and began walking away.

"A world where all people understand one another, where all states exist in harmony and where peace means an end to death and conflict.." The boy called after him.

Hiashi's feet paused over the threshold of the building entrance. What was he talking about?

"That's the world I'm going to build when I become Hokage. A world where clan rivalry and politics will be only a relic of the past. You Hyuuga follow a lot of stupid rules that make you do stupid things."

Hiashi started walking again, glaring into the hallway as the child's voice followed him.

"A stupid clan whose stupid rules cause a man to abuse his own daughter! A stupid clan where a man's wife is murdered for the sake of silly clan politics! A place where even the leader is too frightened to take another wife and too stubborn and angry to marry the one they'd set for him."

Hiashi stopped, his feet freezing in place.

"You're the clan's leader. You can probably see better than I that the Hyuuga are rotting from within. You can change that. You can do so much more than I can.. you can change the fate of the Hyuuga clan. And if you don't, I will. Even if you won't help me, I will smash the Hyuuga's idiocy into dust. You can either be my ally and we can face this challenge together or you can be my enemy and defend what you are too afraid to fight alone."

Hiashi turned, giving the child a dark look. "You speak of matters far beyond your ken. What do you know of the Hyuuga?"

"Probably less than you do." Naruto shrugged. "What I do know is that if you chose to stand in my way, I will flatten you along with all who stand with you. I promise you that."

"And what do you hope to achieve by threatening the leader of the Hyuuga that you think so 'rotten'?"

"I'm not threatening you. I'm letting you in on my plans and giving you the chance to make a choice.. and Hiashi?"

Ignoring the question, the man's expression hardened at the lack of honorifics. "I see you have no respect for this clan. Leave now and I will forget what you've said here."

"Yeah I'm going. I just have one more thing to say.." Naruto started backing away, his voice getting louder to accommodate for the increasing distance. "Stop venting your anger on your own family! _Do_ something about your clan you idiot!"

And then the boy turned and ran, leaving the Hyuuga clan leader to gaze after him in thought as he began to digest and replay the most surreal conversation with a child that he'd ever had.

Changing the clan… impossible. The boy knew nothing. He stepped past the entrance threshold and began the trek toward the meeting that he was to attend with the clan elders. And yet, impossible as it was, his spirit shook. The boy was right.

Hiashi despised the way the clan was now, and he hated what it'd done to his wife and what it was making him do to his daughter. The Hyuuga clan leader pinched at his eyes in exasperation. Since when had he become so weak that he could be influenced by the words of a mere child?

As he entered the meeting room, thirteen blank eyes turned toward him. Hiashi fought a grimace as he glared them down, and an anger began swelling inside him as he challenged every one of the elders with his own gaze.

His father, the former clan head, nodded at his arrival. "You are late Hiashi. The demon boy did not give you trouble I hope?"  
"None at all." Hiashi replied stoically as he faced the man he knew to be responsible for his wife's death. "Let us begin the meeting."

* * *

" **You are an idiot.** "

Feeling the pull of the Nine-tails, Naruto retreated into his mindscape to appear in the dark sewers that was his seal. He stared up into the bars at the massive creature of malice. "How am I an idiot?"

The Fox snarled. " **You treat that 'Sakura' girl like she were the same from your time. You've even helped her reform her relationship with that idiot Uchiha friend of yours. But this Hinata… you refuse to have anything to do with her because you think she's** _ **different**_ **? You're being inconsistent with your thoughts, and your beliefs as to how this time travel thing affects people's identities are contradictory.** "

"She's _not_ the same person though. Hinata… my wife.. she's.. she's different."

The Fox rolled its massive, glowing eyes. " **I somehow always get the cognitively dissonant ones don't I? You're just like your idiot mother. Both of you are surprisingly stupid when it comes to the people that you think you have an affection for.** "

Naruto chuckled. "That's called love. Love is confusing y'know?"

" **You humans are the ones that are confusing. We tailed beasts never have such problems.** "

"I'm glad you're here to tell me that. It's nice to hear you talking to me normally again."

" **Even if my future self, for whatever stupid reason, became your friend, I am not your friend. So don't act like we are,** _ **brat**_ **.** "

"But you are my friend, and you will always be."

" **Sure. And that Hinata girl is your wife.** "

"Ku-.." Naruto frowned. "That's not fair. I can't control what I feel."

The Fox laughed, its voice blaring into the endless void of the seal. " **You know my name. I can hear it at the tip of your tongue. You don't have to hold it back. There's no point in getting me to tell it to you again. Say it.** "

"Hmmm." Naruto scratched his head. "I was going to wait until you to become comfortable with me again. I mean, your name is pretty personal right?"

" **Enough with the excuses!** " The Fox thundered. " **You will prove to me the bullshit that you call time-travel or you will leave!** "

"Uh well…" Naruto began. "If you're lecturing me on being stupid with my feelings, then don't you already believe that I came from the future?"

The Nine-tailed Fox roared, causing Naruto's head to ring.

Naruto blinked. "Kurama."

" **Brat.** " The Fox grinned. " **You've taken my power from me twice today already. It seems in the future, you managed to defeat me in this seal.** "

"Yeah. I also had your other half inside me; I got it from Dad after Orochimaru revived him."

" **I did not crush you with my full power?** "

"No." Naruto replied, causing the Fox to lapse into a moment of silence.

" **That's all I needed to hear. Get out of here brat. We are done talking**."

"Why? You haven't been speaking to me all day."

" **There's nothing for me to say to you or you to me. You already have my powers. You don't need to talk to me.** "

"Of course I do! I mean, you _live_ in me, and I'm your-"

" **I'm your friend. Blabbity blah..** _ **Leave**_ **.** "

Naruto began to giggle. "Blabbity blah?" He chuckled. Did the Fox just say that? He threw back his head and laughed.

" **What's so funny?! Brat!** "

"Hee.. haha. Kurama." Naruto gasped and managed to smother his laughing fit. "I guess I'll be back to talk to you later, and when I do.." Naruto gave a few more quiet chuckles. "I'm removing the cage between us."

Kurama's eyes gleamed at that. The brat wasn't joking. He truly thought that the great Nine-tailed Fox was a friend.

" **Remove the cage? I look forward to crushing you,** _ **brat**_ **.** "

"And I look forward to having you for a partner again. Ja ne!"

Naruto vanished, leaving his tenant to stare blankly at the pool of water on which the child's little feet had stood. He could hardly believe it. This brat had, in some other world and some other time, convinced him to give up his hatred on all things living. After the brat's words to the Hyuuga, he had an idea as to how that could have been.. not that he, this world's Kurama, was necessarily convinced. Just because another Kurama had done it, doesn't mean _he_ had to do it too.

Grumbling, the Fox retreated to a comfortable position and went to sleep.

* * *

"Oy. Naruto."

"Yo. Sasuke. Nice eye."

Sasuke smirked, the red pin-wheel of his left eye contrasting with the coal-black circles of his right one. "How's your wife?"

"She's…" Naruto sighed. "She's not my wife."

Sasuke's smile vanished. "What do you mean? Of course she is."

"Sasuke. It's all very confusing to me right now. I… I just don't know. You know the fact that all the cells in the human body are replaced every seven years right?"

"Naruto, that isn't-"

"My wife is thirty three. This Hinata is thirteen. That's twenty years of difference."

"Naruto look at me." Sasuke looked his friend carefully in the eye. "That girl is your wife."

Naruto chuckled. "Are you trying to hypnotise me with your Sharingan into thinking that?"

"I…" Sasuke looked away, suddenly feeling guilty. "I only want you to be happy."

"Happy.." Naruto laughed humorlessly. "Happy was what I was twenty years from now. Happy was when I was the Hokage. Happy was when my family lived in the village that all of us had worked so hard to create. Sasuke.. I can't be happy here, not when I think about _them_ and what I'd lost in coming here."

"I'm sorry…"

"I know you are, and I don't hate you. There's no reason for me to hate you. I understand why you did what you did. It's just… Sasuke. Hinata was…" Naruto bowed his head, searching for the right words. "I loved her." He finally said.

"I know, and you still do. Think of it this way. If your wife, and I'm talking about the woman from our time and not this one.. if _she_ had lost her memories, say twenty years worth of it, would you still love her?"

"Of course I…" Naruto's eyes widened in stark realization. "I would."

"Well then." Sasuke's smirk had never been more well-deserved. "I don't really see your issue."

"But she's _thirteen_."

"Yeah?"

"Sasuke…" Naruto uttered. "Doesn't this make us paedophiles?"

Sasuke grimaced. "I don't know." Those had been his exact thoughts not too long ago. "Maybe we should give them a few more years to.. ah. Become older?"

"Sasuke. I started dating Hinata when I was _nineteen_."

"And I married Sakura when we were seventeen." Sasuke said thoughtfully. "What's a few more years of waiting?" The Uchiha asked, a smirk beginning to form on his face.. "You aren't getting impatient about fucking her are you?"

"No! I mean.. that's not the issue! I'm just.." Naruto glared down at the forests below, the top of the Hokage Monument giving him a perfect view of the Konoha's topology. "I'm just trying to sort out my stupid emotions. I have more hormones as a kid y'know?"

"Of course." Sasuke said with as much gusto as he was willing to put in his voice. "How about a spar then?" He suggested.

"What? How's that gonna help?"

"It'll help to clear your mind, and it'll help me get more used to fighting in this body."

Naruto thought for a moment and then decided to assent. "I guess it'll give me another chance to beat you up." He chuckled darkly. "I hope you're ready you world-destroying bastard 'cause I'm not gonna go easy on you."

Sasuke smirked. "I'm counting on it."

"And you can't use Kakashi's eye!" Naruto added after a moment's thought.

"It's _Obito's_ eye, and I refuse!" Sasuke laughed (cackled). "What are you going to do about it, _Hokage-sama?"_

Naruto streaked through the air, closing the gap between him and his friend in an instant of unparalleled speed. At the same time, Sasuke's left eye widened. " _Kamui!_ "

Naruto blinked in disorientation as the surrounding forests and the Hokage Monument disappeared. He couldn't believe Sasuke just did that; sending him into Obito's dimension was _cheating_.

Just as suddenly as he'd been whisked away from reality, Naruto reappeared on a blank patch of Earth and received a blow to his back before he could even blink. Falling forward, he caught himself and turned to face the source of the attack. "You've _got_ to be joking."

"This isn't a joke, Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke smirked once more and raised a challenging hand in an imitation of the Leaf's taijutsu master, Rock Lee. "Come and get me."

Naruto merely smiled in response and waited.

Releasing a slow breath, Sasuke decided to take the initiative. With a kick of his feet into the head of the Fourth, the Uchiha charged silently forward toward his Hokage and friend.

* * *

Author's Note: I took liberties to change some details in CH 8. For those of you who read the pre-edited version, Kakashi trades Sharingans with Sasuke and will be exclusively training Sakura. I also (hopefully) fixed some of the awkwardness that I felt was there, but that's neither here nor there.

I'll be busy with school so my fanfic activity might go down. I know I said the same at the start of last quarter when I was finishing up my first fic (to anyone who read that one), but this time I'm Sirius!

...

..

.

See you next update!

EDIT (4/17/2016): It has been brought to my attention that I should probably note that the statement "All the cells in the human body are replaced every seven years." is false. Neurons are never replaced. They just die, and the totality of heart cells can take 10 years or more to be replaced. Sorry for spreading ignorance. It is not intentional... Heheh. *evilgrin  
EDIT2: And by all the cells are replaced every seven years, I mean that by the end of seven years, every cell will have been replaced. I do NOT mean that every cell gets replaced once at the end of every seven years after its birth. I mean come on, why would you take the interpretation that makes _less_ sense? o -o


	11. Chapter 11

**Hiashi**

* * *

"Look at her." The woman cooed. "Isn't she the most beautiful thing to have ever been born?"

The infant cooed back, raising a small, chubby hand toward her beautiful mother. Said mother placed her own long fingers within reach of those tiny hands, letting the tiny girl grip them between her tiny fingers.

"Hinata-chan. Mother loves you." There was a pause as a brief kiss was planted onto the infant's little fingers. "Mother loves you very much."

Hiashi smiled. Both mother and daughter were beautiful. He prayed that the girl would be strong.

* * *

He saw her coming from the other side of the compound, his Byakugan tracking her every step as she ran. Minutes later, the girl paused outside their room, composed herself, and then slid open the door. He should get her a tutor soon. The girl wasted too much of her free time picking flowers. The elders were already pressing him. They wanted to evaluate her. He'd promised them their evaluation. In one year, he'd promised. Surely his wife would understand.

"Mother. Father…" The girl said quietly, a faint blush glowing on her cheeks from obvious exertion. "I have something for you."

"Hm?" The mother smiled down at her child. "Let me see?"

"Ko helped me pick these." The girl drew a small bouquet of flowers from behind her back. "Um. Would mother like to share some? It tastes almost-yummy…

"Almost-yummy? Hinata… have you been… eating them?"

"Yes mother. Would mother like some?"

The mother shook her head, a smile creeping on her lips. "No thank you."

"Father? Does father want flowers?"

Hiashi frowned. He'd get her a tutor tomorrow. She was too coddled, too behind and nowhere close to the level of intelligence or skill that she needed to be at. "Hinata… those flowers aren't for eating. Throw them away this instant."

"Oh…" The girl looked down at her flowers forlornly.

Looking down at her daughter, Hisayo felt an urge to bundle the girl into her arms. "You can't eat flowers, Hinata, but they're really good for decorating. Mother thinks these flowers are very pretty; come here, let me show you how to decorate your hair with them!"

The girl brightened. "Yes mother!"

"Father will help!" Hisayo looked to her husband.

Hiashi gave his wife a pointed look. "I have business to attend to." He stood and left.

His daughter's voice trailed out from behind him "Does father not like flowers?"

"No, Hinata." His wife replied. "Father just has a lot of things on his mind… next time don't eat the flowers OK?"

"Ok mother."

* * *

"Hiashi… don't do this to her."

Hiashi paced the bamboo mat as his wife tried to protest his decision.

"She'll never satisfy the clan's expectations, and that's ok. You just have to tell them the truth. There's no rule stating that the children of the main branch must all be like your brother's son. That's completely unreasonable."

Hiashi glared out the walls. He could see his father, watching them carefully. Did they never have any privacy?!

"Hiashi… please."

"I cannot… we have no choice."

"She's only two! Hiashi! You must be able to do something."

"You don't understand."

"Of course I do. The clan expected me to birth a perfect heir, but Hiashi, there is already a Hyuuga child who meets their every expectations. Why does it matter that he's a branch member?"

"Hisayo.. you know not of what you speak."

"I know that our daughter's future is at stake." Hisayo argued. "Isn't that enough? If you can convince the elders to wait for our next child… I know I'm asking a lot from you, but please… for our family… for us."

"I will think on it."

* * *

Facing the Hyuuga Council, Hiashi looked a veritable leader as he spoke passionately on the clan's 'broken' traditions. The actual leader, Hiashi's father, clucked in disappointment. "Not only has that wife of yours failed to give you a worthy heir, it seems she's corrupted your mind as well. Tradition is what holds us together. Tradition is the reason you have been made my heir and your brother, Hizashi, marked with the Seal. I am disappointed in you Hiashi. There will be no vote on this issue. Sit down, son."

Hiashi ground his teeth and sat as seven pairs of eyes looked on him with condescension.

* * *

"Father." The girl wrapped her little arms around his waist.

"Hinata. What have you been doing?"

"I've been… I did my training father, so I went to play with Hanabi. Is she going to be doing training too?"

"Perhaps."

Hinata frowned, her arms tightening. "I don't want Hanabi to do training. I wish no one has to do training. Granpa is mean."

"Granpa means well. He wants you to become strong." Hiashi petted his daughter's hair. "Father needs to go to a meeting. Will Hinata let him go?"

"No." The girl denied seriously. "Hinata heard that hugs are really important to making people happy, and father is the most serious and not happy person, so he needs hugging the most. Hinata won't let go until father says he is happy."

"Hinata." Hiashi said quietly. Then, gently, he pushed his daughter away. "Who taught you such nonsense.. about hugging?"

"Mother did." The girl looked down at his foot. "I-is father happy?"

"Hinata. Look me in the eye."

The girl complied, wavering at her father's admonishing tone.

"As Hyuuga clan heiress, you must carry yourself with dignity, that includes keeping a respectable distance from your peers. No more hugs."  
The girl ducked her head and nodded. "Yes father."

As he stepped towards the meeting room, Hiashi couldn't help but smile at his wife's obvious ploy. It'd almost worked too.

How adorable.

* * *

"Hanabi has been showing amazing development. I'm sure she will pass the evaluation. Just two more years and she'll be ready!" He pleaded.

"That is what you said to us with your first daughter. Hiashi. Take another wife. This one will not produce an acceptable heir."

"My choice of wife is mine alone. Hanabi will be strong. I swear it."

"I see." The former clan leader sitting across the table shook his head. "Let us discuss other matters then. Hyuuga Neji will be enrolled in the Academy soon. We must ensure that he can present himself correctly to the public..."

* * *

"Where is she?!" Hiashi stormed through the compound, his Byakugan fully active as he made his way to the one man he knew would have the answer. "What have you done to her?!"

The old man stared at him blankly. "What is your trouble, son? Of who do you speak?"

"My wife… what have you done with her?!"

"Be careful with your words Hiashi. It almost seems as if you are accusing me of having caused your wife harm." The man quickly activated and deactivated his own Byakugan.

"It seems she is not in the compound. Let us conduct a search. We must mobilize the clan." The old man stated calmly. "The Hokage should also be notified as this could qualify as a search mission. I'm sure she will be found."

Even as his father spoke, Hiashi felt a chill of horrible certainty that the search would be fruitless, that no matter how much they looked, they would not find her.

* * *

White eyes and blank, emotionless faces surrounded him, meaningless words coming out of their mouths.

"You have my condolences son. It seems she has disappeared, run off no doubt in shame of her inability to produce a real heir. Perhaps to ease your pain, you could take a new wife? Your daughters will need a mother. Your cousin Miyako has been waiting to be wed for years now. She is a strong, capable Shinobi of great talent."

"Father." Hiashi ground out, barely able to keep the anger from his voice. "I will not marry another. The only clan heirs you will have shall be the ones available to you now."

The former clan leader was silent for a moment as Hiashi seethed inwardly. "I see. That is a pity. Again, you have my condolences. The search will continue, but if we don't find her, I suggest you take another wife. You are the leader now, Hiashi. The fate of the clan rests on your shoulders."

With a last, blank look, the old man departed.

* * *

"F-father? Are you hurt?"

"Hinata..." Hiashi stared at the little girl, his daughter. The girl who'd failed the clan's evaluation. The girl who'd failed her mother. "From now on, you will spend less time with your sister. Every minute you waste is a minute that can be spent training. I will schedule increased hours with your tutors for you. You are to become the clan's leader, Hinata, and I will expect nothing but the best from you."

Hinata looked down at his feet as she was wont to do. "What about mother?" She asked with a muted voice.

"Look me in the eyes when you speak." Hiashi commanded.

The three year old girl quivered her lips as she fell on the brink of crying. Her own watery eyes lifted and settled. "H-have they found mother?"

"No." Hiashi softened. "They have not. Go to your room now. Ko will be there to give you instructions. Go."

The girl began to leave, and stopped. "Does father need a hug?" She squeaked hesitantly in a tiny voice.

"Hinata. Your room. That is an order."

"Y-yes f-father." The voice trembled and sniffed before its source finally pattered away on her small, child's feet.

* * *

 _Stop venting your anger on your own family! Do something about your clan you idiot!_

* * *

Something gentle smoothed over her cheeks, something with the texture of skin. Hands. Fingers. Palm. It was the hand of a man. There was only one person it could be. Hinata opened her eyes. "Ko?"

But it wasn't Ko. The man stared down at her with a look of sudden fear.

"Father?"

The man stood silently, looking like he wanted to run away.

"Wait…" She pleaded quietly. It was strange. As much as the man had scared her for the better part of her life, this moment of softness, rare and previously unseen and unfelt, made her want to hold onto and cherish it. "Don't go."

Silently, the leader of the Hyuuga knelt on his daughter's bedside. Finding words, the man stumbled. "It is late. You should be asleep."

"I was, father. You should be sleeping too."

"Indeed." With a nod, Hiashi stood and stalked toward the exit. His hands reached the door.

"Good night, Father. Sleep well."

"Good night, daughter" He slid open the door and paused. "See me at the dojo at 5 tomorrow morning. You will be training with your cousin under my watch." Then, walking out into the hall, he quickly slid the door shut behind him and left the premises of the room.

* * *

 **Sakura**

* * *

Every step was torture. What was worse, no single step provided any real sense of progress. The village was massive. There was no way she could do this.. no way she could keep up.

One hundred laps around the village… that was just completely insane. The village had a four and a half kilometer circumference. That was 450 kilometers. 450 kilometers every morning was insane, even for a Ninja with Chakra-enhanced stamina. Team Gai was insane. The team's leader, Maito Gai himself, was insane. They were all insane. Out of their minds. Delusional. Over-the-top, crazy exercise freaks… all of them.. even Tenten, the only girl of the Team.

Heart bursting and lungs giving out, Sakura pelted forward mindlessly. This wasn't training. This was torture. Damned that Kakashi for making her do this!

"UOOOOHHH!" A deep voice boomed from behind. With a jolt of fear, she jumped forward, unintentionally quickening her pace. "Seeing a weak and thin little girl try to keep up with my AMAZING and YOUTHFUL team fills me with ENERGY! It fills me with DETERMINATION!

Sakura shook her head weakly as she maintained her pace. Weak and thin little girl… On any other day, those words would have driven her forward. On any other day, Inner Sakura would have loudly decried anyone who dared look down on them in such a way. On any other day, when it wasn't so painfully obvious how weak she was compared to these other Genin… Sakura would've proven them wrong. But today she was tired and the only thing she wanted to do was to stop running. She slowed, almost begging for them to notice how tired she was and stop the insane exercise.

"Keep running girl! FOCUS! Let the YOUTH course through your veins. Let it DRIVE you forward! Let your life burn brilliantly with PASSION!" The voice yelled loudly. Sakura turned a pleading look behind her; the sight of the muscular, overbearing man in green, form-fitting spandex running after her on his hands would remain emblazoned in her memories for a long time... _Crazy. Completely crazy!_ Inner Sakura noted

Up ahead Tenten slowed her pace, allowing Sakura to catch up and reach her side. The older girl offered the younger Genin a sympathetic look, the twin buns of her hair bouncing as she jogged.. "It was like this for me too when I first started. You can do it, Sakura. I know it."

Sakura wanted to cry. Her lungs were expanding and retracting at a pace she didn't think possible. Her legs were almost literally jelly. They rounded into another long stretch of road, and Sakura felt her spirit sink into the soles of her sandals. There was no way she could keep going. Tenten was wrong. She couldn't do it. This was just too much. She was done..

Resistance completely destroyed, Sakura stumbled forward a final step and stopped in place to breathe and try to capture whatever air she could get into her body. "I can't!" She gasped. _I'm such a failure._ Inner Sakura lamented.

A firm hand rested on her shoulder. "You did well." Maito Gai said, his gentle voice contrasting greatly with the loud, unforgiving taskmaster that he'd been only moments before. "Get some rest."

"But you…" Sakura wheezed. "you said..."

"I said to run at least fifty of the hundred laps around the village didn't I?" Gai put a hand to his chin. "Tenten. You've done well. Run ahead now. I'll be right behind you."

Sakura looked up and met the eyes of the older girl. Tenten smiled. "You're doing alright. Don't worry." She said kindly. And then, turning on her heels, the budding weapons mistress jogged down the forest path after her teammates. Sakura let her eyes drop back to the path ahead of her. They were so strong, and she was so weak… it was terrible.

"My star pupil, Lee, was the only one to run all fifty laps the first time he tried.. Even Tenten and Neji couldn't do that." Gai remarked. "You pushed yourself to your limits.. pushed yourself to grow. That's all that mattered."

Too tired and out of breath to reply, Sakura nodded.

"Walk now. Your training with us is done. Walk and don't stop walking until your heart has calmed, then walk a bit more. Let your blood recover its normal circulation."

"Yes sensei." Sakura said in between breaths.

"Well! Until later!" Gai grinned, showing his almost blinding white set of teeth and giving his temporary student a thumbs up. Sakura watched as Maito Gai sped away. Even for a Ninja, the man was amazingly fast.

Standing alone in the outskirts of the village perimeters and still breathing hard, she picked up her feet and began the long trudge back toward her home. She didn't exactly know where to go because Kakashi had just dumped her off with Team Gai and told her to do whatever they told her to do. That lazy good-for-nothing pervert...

"I want you to tell me why I'm having you train with Team Gai."

At the voice, Sakura looked around for the source and found her Jonin leader standing behind her with a book titled "Icha Icha: The Castle of Dreams Part II" held open in front of him. The cover featured a man with a pained expression surrounded by what could only be described as a clump of very eager-looking women.

 _Cha!_ Inner Sakura cried angrily. _That lazy creep! Getting someone else to train us while he stands around reading that garbage!_

"This is an important question. I suggest you answer it." Kakashi said, his eyes never leaving the pages of his book.

"Um.." Sakura said tiredly. "Physical training?"

"Yes… and?"

"But Kakashi-sensei…why can't _you_ train me? You could've told me to run a hundred laps around the village too. And what were you doing the entire time?!"

"Ah-ah. I'm the teacher here. I'm the one asking the questions. Why do you think I'm only making you do physical exercise first before training you in any of the other Shinobi arts? That's a big hint by the way. If you answer this question correctly, I'll answer one of yours."

"...Well since.. Um." Sakura thought back to her academic studies, sifting through data that she knew about "You want me to get physically stronger… because Chakra is a fusion of physical and spiritual energies, and it'll help me expand my Chakra capacity."

"Hmm." Kakashi turned another page. "As expected of the girl who graduated with a perfect score on the written portion of the graduation exam. Well carry on then. Gai told you to keep walking right? Why are you stopping?"

Sakura's glared in disbelief at her infuriating team leader, exhaustion forgotten. "Wait-wait! Hold on! You said you'd answer one of my questions, so what've you been doing while I was running my butt off?"

"Well…" Kakashi briefly let his eyes leave the pages of his book. "To answer your earlier question, Gai is the best Taijutsu master in the village. Honestly, if it had been me instead of him pushing you, you would've quit before you even ran half the distance that you ran today. Besides, wasn't it more motivating to be running alongside other Genin and see how far behind you are in comparison?"

Sakura frowned. Motivating? More like embarrassing. "Kakashi-sensei… I'll have to run every morning won't I?"

Kakashi smiled. "Maa.. it won't be as bad as what Team Gai does. We'll start light; twenty laps around the village"

"Eeeeh? That's more than today!" Sakura griped.

"Yup. And you'll keep running until you get used to using your Chakra to enhance your muscles and your movement better. Then we'll increase the distance gradually. Before you know it, you'll be running one hundred like the cute little Genin from Team Gai! Well, better keep walking. I'll pick you up for lunch."

"Yes sensei..." Sakura responded gloomily. The prospect of repeating this morning not appealing to her in the least.

With a nod, a smile and a two fingered wave, Kakashi vanished under a cloud of smoke and swirling leaves.

Walking back into the village mainground, Sakura steeled her determination. If the Genin from Team Gai could do it, then so could she; if she were to become the village's strongest kunoichi, then she could expect no less. Would Kakashi be running with her? What did Kakashi plan to do when she was running anyway? And pick her up at noon? Noon was more than three hours away!

…

"Aaaah!" Inner Sakura yelled angrily. "He didn't tell us where to go! Stupid Kakashi!"

* * *

 **Flower Shop**

* * *

"Ino."

The blonde hummed, her ponytail swishing as she moved from counter to counter.

"Ino-pig."

Ino picked through a bouquet, fixing some flowers in place, frowned in dissatisfaction, then added a few more blossoms.

"Ino!" Sakura yelled, losing her patience. "Fine. I'm leaving."

Just as she turned around, her friend's cheerful voice finally spoke. "Oh! Forehead! I almost didn't recognize you! What are you doing here?!"

Sakura continued walking. If Ino-pig was going to play the 'pretend-to-not-notice-or-hear-the-person-in-front-of-you' game, then she would play along.

"Wait, Sakura!" Ino called. "I was just kidding. Sheesh. You don't have to take everything so personally. What's up?"

Sakura whipped around. "My stupid Jonin-leader is literally the worst! I mean seriously! He left me with Team Gai so that he could run off and read porn. Can you believe that?! And then so I ran the entire morning with that crazy team, and then I was told to walk off and rest. Literally Kakashi told me he would pick me up at noon. Do you even know what time it is?! I have like three whole hours! I have the laziest Jonin-sensei ever!"

"Pft. Forehead. You're exaggerating." Ino licked her lips as she fixed a bouquet, somehow always seeming to know what was 'wrong' and what was 'right' with the flower arrangements.

Sakura scoffed, and Ino turned her attention away from her flowers. "Now don't laugh, forehead. You don't know lazy 'til you've seen my team. You do know that Nara Shikamaru is in my team right? You've seen him! He's like the definition of lazy. And my Jonin-sensei, he just plays along with Shikamaru. I mean, look at me, Forehead. Some of the other teams are freaking training and doing stuff this morning, and I'm here working the flower shop because that old fart Asuma told us that we can have today off. To do what?! I swear. When I tell Dad about this, that guy's gonna have way more problems than just the cancer that he's totally gonna get. Anyway, that's besides the point. Yeah you have that annoying Naruto, but you also have Sasuke on your team. You're so lucky. Tell me what he's like? Did you make any moves on him yet?"

Ino finally stopped to breath as she allowed her friend room to reply.

"I don't have a team." Sakura said quietly.

"What?" Ino uttered incredulously. "But I saw you get assigned to a team, what do you mean you don't have a team?"

"I can't really tell you, but Sasuke and Naruto aren't part of my team anymore. I'm being trained alone."

"What? That can't be right!" Ino cried with righteous anger for her friend. "They can't do that! Awe Sakura! I'm so sorry…"

"Ah yeah. It really sucks, but there's nothing I can do about it."

 _Besides! Sasuke gets married to me! Suck it Ino!_ Inner Sakura rambled. Sakura, ignoring her inner voice as usual, began pacing back into the shop. "Well since I have nothing to do 'til noon, why don't you show me how things work around here. I've always wondered how you know which flower to put where."

"Oh!" Ino said chirpily. "Gladly!" She turned away, drawing a flower and passing it into her friend's hand. Sakura took the flower gingerly, avoiding the spikes on its stem. "Let me see how you arrange that. Oh and also, I know you're not supposed to be telling me all of it, but I still want to know why you're on a solo team. I mean, it's not that bad since you get a lot of one on one time which should help you improve..." Ino trailed off and Sakura laughed.

"Hah! As if. Who knows where that Bakashi-sensei has gone off to?" She stuck the flower carefully into a bushel, keeping the arrangement symmetrical and the variance in color consistent. "How's that?"

Ino grinned. "Just perfect! It almost feels like we're friends again."

"Ew Ino. Don't get mushy on me too." Sakura complained with a bright smile.

Ino's grin widened. "'Too'? Who else has been mushy with you, tell me."

"Ino..." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Oh and while you're at it, here." The blonde picked a bucket of random assortments of flowers and set it on the counter. "You can help me sort these. Do you know that each flower has a special meaning attached to it?"

Sakura nodded. "The red rose is for romance, the white rose is for innocence and devotion, stuff like that?"

"Yup! But do you know all of them?"

"Well… not really. I mean, I know that cherry blossoms represent youth and spring."

"Sakura... cherry blossoms don't count. OK let me tell you each one. You have a good memory, so you'd better remember all of it because you're gonna help me fill some orders by the end of this morning. And when some of the customers come by, leave the talking to me, got it?"

Sakura stood to attention and saluted. "Yes! Ino-sensei!"

Ino giggled, her voice deepening slightly as she tried to do an impression of the Hokage. "Well my little student! Allow me to pass on this knowledge to you! You are the next generation of Shinob- ahem! - I mean, floral designer. The fate of the Yamanaka flower shop rests in your hands!"

"But Ino-sensei!" Sakura raised her voice. "That's boring! Teach me some jutsu!"

Ino gaped at her friend and then covered a hand over her face. "Oh my god Sakura. _Please_ don't do Naruto. That's just _gross_."

"Not really."

"You think so?" Ino winked playfully. " _Sakura-channn! GO out with me!_ "

"Ew! Ok." Sakura blanched. "I get your point."

" _But Sakura-channnn!_ " Ino managed to cry through fits of laughter.

"Oh my god Ino! Stop!"

* * *

"So this flower means jealousy. Usually you'd put it with the yellow tulips and the primrose, but sometimes, people don't really care about the flower meanings at all. You know, I used to be so jealous of you scoring higher than me in all the tests. Now that I think about it, I feel kinda bad for feeling that way. I mean, you're like, crazy smart you know that?"

"Not really." Sakura sighed. "Like, I was doing team training yesterday and.."

"What? And?"

Sakura shook her head, pointing to the flowershop entrance at an approaching customer.

"Oh." Ino said offhandedly. "That's Sasuke… what."

The girls shared a look, and Ino suddenly distanced herself. "He's mine. Watch and learn."

Sakura shook her head as her future-husband walked in through the front door to the sound of bells.

"Hi! Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower Shop! What can I do for you, Sa-su-ke-kun?" Ino greeted, drawing the boy's attention from Sakura.

"Ino." Sasuke nodded curtly and then turned his attention back to Sakura. "What are you doing in a flower shop?" Sakura frowned. Sasuke looked unhappy.

Ino narrowed an eye and pulled Sakura to the side. "Did you see that?" She whispered.

"See what?" Sakura whispered back, flicking a glance at Sasuke who shifted his weight impatiently.

"He's actually talking to us." Ino continued. "I mean, doesn't he usually ignore us? And why does he care about what you're doing? He's not your teammate anymore right? What is he doing here anyway?"

Sakura shrugged. "I dunno."

"Are you done?" Sasuke asked. "Why aren't you training?"

Ino turned around and smiled at the boy. "Why do you care, pretty-boy? Sakura isn't on your team anymore right? And if you're not here to buy flowers, I might have to ask you to leave."

"It's ok, Ino." Sakura interceded. "Um. Kakashi-sensei kind of just left me about an hour ago after he had me do a run with Team Gai. He said he'd pick me up at noon so, well, here I am. Visiting my best friend."

Ino wrapped an arm behind her friend's back and around her shoulders, pulling them close. "That's right! She's here for me! What business do you have with my Cherry Blossom anyway?"

Sasuke tilted his head and smiled with a look of amusement. "I'll be back." And then he was gone, vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Wow." Ino let her arms fall to her sides. "Did he just… smile at us?"

Sakura shrugged.

A moment later, Sasuke re-appeared in the middle of the shop, accompanied by a silver-haired man in a Jounin vest. The man looked around, slightly bewildered.

"Train her." Sasuke commanded, gesturing toward his future-wife.

Kakashi sighed. "You know. I have my reasons-"

"I don't care about your reasons. All I know is that as a teacher, you are blatantly neglecting your student. I've also taken your books from you. Your performance will determine whether or not I burn them."

"This is an infringement of my freedom. You are acting outside your authority, Uchiha Sasuke"

Sasuke smirked. "Really? I seem to recall that it is perfectly within my authorities to report your… _activities_ this morning to the Hokage and the general public."

"Maa… hard to reject a woman like that, wouldn't you agree?" Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and smiled. "Besides, threatening me will only get you so far. It actually makes me feel… _less_ motivated to conduct any sort of training... why don't you train her? I'm sure you'd love to."

Ino looked confusedly from her fellow academy graduate to the Jonin being pushed around by said graduate. "What." She muttered.

"That... is acceptable.. on one condition." Sasuke looked blandly at his former Instructor. "I take up training her. You get a few weeks of break. When Naruto and I leave, I expect you to act your part as her Jonin Instructor; I pray, for your sake, that I don't find any signs of you having neglected her when we get back."

"Hmmm. Sounds reasonable. I accept your proposal." Kakashi turned a smiling eye at Sakura. "I almost feel bad for you. He'd make for a terribly overbearing husband. You know: the kind that wants to control every aspect of your life?"

Sasuke frowned. "That's not true."

"Maa, that remains to be seen.. Bye."

With a wave, the Jonin left the shop and was gone.

"Sakura. Let's-" Sasuke started to say and then paused as if rethinking his words. "Do you want me to train you or would you like to stay here?"

"Oh he's so considerate!" Ino squealed.

Sakura smiled and patted her friend's shoulders. "I'll see you around ok?"

"Wait!" Ino put a hand to her hips. "Hold on! What did he mean by _husband_?! Are you two dating?! I mean, even if you're dating, wouldn't he only be a boyfriend? ' _Husband_ ' is taking it a bit far isn't it?"

Ino stared wide eyed at Sakura who smiled smugly and waved as she walked down the aisles of the shop. "Bye Ino."

And then they were gone. After a moment of gaping, Ino turned on her feet and began pacing from counter to counter. Finally, she stopped, staring down at the lovely bouquet that her friend had put together.

"I'm telling _everyone_."

* * *

Author's Note: Hello again everyone! So I was looking through a list of skeleton puns that I could post here in the Author's Note section to show how much of an Undertale junkie I am. As I looked through the list, however, I realized that skeleton puns weren't very humerus, so I decided against it.

...

Well anyway, after writing such a long chapter, I'm feeling kind of boned. I'm going to go lie down and listen to some relaxing skele-tunes from my favorite artists.. like Jon Bone Jovi.

...

..

.

Buhbye now.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hiruzen."

The old man looked up to see another old man, swathed in bandages and holding a cane. This other old man, Shimura Danzo, had once tried to depose him. This other old man who had served him in the shadows to perform the various repulsive deeds which held the village together, deeds which would never be made known to the public. Now Danzo was nothing more than an advisor. After the coup attempts twenty years ago, Hiruzen had taken away all powers that his childhood friend held. ROOT, the secret underground organization that Danzo controlled, had been disbanded.

Nowadays, Danzo only came to him to dispense advice, criticism and his thoughts on how administration should be run.

Instead of replying immediately, Hiruzen quietly filled his pipe, lighting it with a flick of his fingers and a little bit of Fire-nature Chakra. Then, taking a deep drag, he blew a cloud of smoke, obscuring his vision of the bandaged cripple. "Good afternoon my friend. What brings to my office at this hour?"

"I've heard some rumors, Hiruzen. Rumors that I can't help but feel was information you have intentionally withheld from me."

"Is that so?" Hiruzen chuckled. Already, he could feel his bodily systems relax, making him feel comfortable where otherwise a visit from Danzo would have made him feel old and tired. "Please do tell."

Danzo frowned. "What is this I hear about Uchiha Sasuke having developed the Mangekyo Sharingan? I would think something so important would have been made known to me and the council immediately."

"I see." Hiruzen took another drag. He would have to get a refill soon. Thankfully, his suppliers were more than willing to provide and remain available to him at all times. Sometimes, he really didn't know what he'd do without them. "And do tell me, where did you find out such information?"

"Why, there was a great battle on the Hokage monument just last night. I'm sure you've seen it?"

 _Last night…_ Hiruzen rummaged through his memories. He didn't recall seeing anything significant last night. "I'm afraid you'll have to fill me in, old friend."

"Hiruzen." Danzo started to scowl and then, calming himself, he settled for another frown. "You've grown old, my friend. Your age has blinded you, and the poison you ingest has dulled the razor edge of your perception. I am saddened, Hiruzen. Truly. To see my old friend and powerful ally be reduced to this."

The Hokage smiled, shaking his head. "You've known me for over sixty years, Danzo. When have my habits ever affected my performance?"

"You were young then, but you are old now. Your body is no longer capable of processing what it could. You should quit."

"Mmm." Hiruzen puffed slowly at his pipe. "Before we discuss the Mangekyo, I'd like to hear everything you know about Uchiha Sasuke, including whatever purportedly happened last night. Please, take a seat." He gestured to one of the chairs in the back of the room.

"I will speak from where I stand."

"I see. Carry on then."

"Uchiha Sasuke has developed the Mangekyo, as you already know. What you perhaps are unaware of is the fact that the Vessel of the Nine-tails has also suddenly learned to control his powers."

"And I suppose the two had a battle last night on the Hokage monument." Hiruzen blew another long stream of smoke, this one billowing straight into his friend's face.

Danzo coughed and waved his hand to clear the air. "Yes. Anyone who looked on the Hokage monument would have seen them. Hiruzen, I am disappointed. What were you doing? You have a damned far-seeing crystal ball. How could you have missed it?"

The Hokage plucked his pipe from his mouth and gave it a pointed look. Then, after a moment, he put it back between his lips and took another long, deep drag. "I was taking a much deserved break from a long, busy day. Surely you understand, these old bones need rest just as much as yours."

Danzo shook his head. "In any case. Something must be done to control the Uchiha. His loyalty to the village has always been questionable, and now that he has awakened the Manegkyo Sharingan, it would be a good precaution to have him tested. Uzumaki Naruto will also need to be watched. It is fortunate that the boy has an ambition to become Hokage, and I am not so worried about him. However, now that he has awoken his powers, it has come time to reveal to him the responsibilities that are expected of him. It is also time to reveal his lineage as they will help further secure his loyalty to the village. What do you say Hiruzen?"

"Your worries are unnecessary, Danzo."

The old warhawk narrowed his eyes at the dismissal. Unnecessary? These were important matters! Holding a blank face, Danzo took a calming breath. "Explain."

Hiruzen chuckled as if enjoying an inside joke. "I suggest you personally speak to Uchiha Sasuke. I believe you will find all your answers then."

Danzo nodded, coughing as the surrounding smoke continued to filter into his lungs. He cleared his throat "I suppose you don't mind if I test him?"

"That is your prerogative." Hiruzen replied

"And what will you do about Uzumaki Naruto?"

"I will take care of it. Do not worry."

"Then that will be all. I will be meeting with the Uchiha this afternoon. I suggest you talk to the Nine-tail's vessel as soon as possible." Danzo half-bowed. "I'll be taking my leave."

Hiruzen took the pipe from his mouth and set it down on his desk as he watched his former teammate leave his office. "Goodbye, old friend."

* * *

"Look the Sun is setting." She said, and then grunted as the force on her back increased in response. "People should be starting to eat dinner soon." She continued, the strain in her voice resurfacing.

"Sakura. We're not leaving until I say so."

"But we've been doing this for eight hours!"

"We had an hour long lunch break."

"Seven hours then!"

"And we'll be doing more tomorrow."

"I…" Sakura swallowed. It wasn't that she was in pain, but the tight discomfort of her current position made her want to scream in frustration. "I don't know if I can keep doing this." She muttered, barely keeping the edge out of her voice.

The sound of a sigh and a loud poof indicating the dissipation of a Shadow Clone accompanied the sudden release of pressure from her back. Pushing herself from the wall, her relief was instantaneous. For a moment, she simply sat there, her legs inadvertently splayed wide from the split position that she'd been forced to hold for the past twenty or so minutes.

"I can't stand up."

There was an uncomfortable silence that lasted several seconds. Turning her head, her eyes went to the boy next to her. Pressed all the way into the wall, it was clear that he was much more flexible. The boy returned her gaze, the look of disappointment he gave her was awful, and suddenly, she wished she hadn't asked him to stop.

Pushing himself back, Sasuke stood to his feet, then, walking behind her, he put his hands under her arms and silently lifted her up. The feel of his hands left her feeling warmer than usual, and with what little control she had left of her body, she suppressed the sensation. "Sasuke, I'm sorry." She said, wobbling on her feet; it was all she could do to remain standing.

"Sakura."

Turning her head at the sound she realized their proximity, and quickly stepped away. She hit the wall with her back, and her legs nearly failed her as she tried to calm the beating of her heart.

"What do you know about me?"

Sakura breathed, steadying the tremble in her legs. "You're-" _the cutest and really really cool!_ "Uhm." Sakura backtracked, "You're always calm and collected, you know what you're doing, and work harder than anyone else in class. I know you didn't make friends with anyone, but that's because… well you ignored almost everyone, so I guess you weren't very social or outgoing. I mean, you used to be nice and we used to play together before… well you probably don't remember it anyway."

"What do you know about my brother?"

"Your brother… Uchiha Itachi?

"Yes." Sasuke replied blankly.

Sakura watched the last Uchiha carefully for a reaction and then, deciding that he seemed willing to speak on the subject, she began to weigh what she knew. "He slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan.. except you. And… you want to kill him?"

"Not anymore, but I did. I left the village to get stronger. I became a criminal and a traitor."

"...Ok.."

"After Itachi died, I tried to destroy the Leaf. I even tried to kill you." Sasuke began backing away, slowly retreating. "I hated everything. I hated the village, the Hokage, you, Naruto, the Shinobi system, everything. I hated the Leaf for ordering the slaughter of my family and then blaming it on my brother. I hated my brother for being an idiot and letting the village control him. I wanted to kill you all."

As he spoke, reminiscing on his past emotions, the Uchiha's killing intent began to slowly seep out into the room. Sakura stared at the boy, her nerves shaking as her surroundings became slightly heavier and more oppressive. Weak from the day's many trials, she began to tremble once more against her will. "S-sasuke?"  
Seeming to come out of a trance, Sasuke's mood lightened, and the KI he exerted dissipated into nothing. "Naruto was the reason I could overcome my hatred and return to the village. I nearly killed him several times. I stabbed him in the back, betrayed him more than I did anyone else. Even through all that, he believed in me. He believed I could be who I was before I let myself be consumed by the Curse of Hatred that plagues the Uchiha. He wasn't the only one who understood me, but he was one of the few who never gave up on me."

"Did I give up on you?" Sakura asked in a contrite manner.

"No." Sasuke replied. "But you didn't understand me. As you are now, you understand neither me nor the reasons for which I would eventually turn against the village. If Naruto hadn't convinced me to do otherwise I…" Sasuke stared at this thirteen year old variant of his wife, vaguely hoping she would understand. "I would have killed the Five Kage, all the Daimyo and all the Shinobi who opposed me; I would have become a monster - the villain of this world."

Sakura stood unmoving, not knowing what to say in the sudden lull of silence. What could she say?

"Eventually..." Sasuke continued, breaking the tension before it could build. "Eventually I came to love you. You and Naruto were one of the few who could truly accept me despite all I'd done."

Sakura nodded, not knowing what else to do. She'd continued to chase Sasuke even after he'd tried to kill her? That was hard to believe. Then again, this other Sakura that he was talking about had had much more time to grow closer to him, and it brought up the question as to whether or not she would have done the same. As much as she wanted to take credit for all the feats that Sasuke had claimed that she'd accomplished, she knew she could not in good conscience. She and the person that Sasuke was talking about weren't the same person. That other Sakura seemed, in fact, to be an impossible standard, someone she couldn't compare to at all. It made her feel small.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get a response - not that he'd known what to really expect, Sasuke smiled. "Let me walk you home."

Sakura stepped gingerly forward, her mind running over the new data about her future-husband. Quietly, Sasuke turned his back and began to leave the building.

"Would you like to eat with us?" Sakura asked as they traversed the empty hall leading to the outside world.

Sasuke turned. "Forgive me, Sakura. I'm feeling tired today. Maybe next time."

"You're tired? You can't be tired. I mean I-"

"Sakura." The Uchiha interrupted sharply, causing her mouth to snap shut. "I have something I have to do later this evening. I won't be joining you for dinner."

"Tomorrow then?" Sakura suggested haphazardly as she quelled her disappointment.

"Tomorrow... We'll see. I'll have some scrolls on the basics of Iryo-ninjutsu prepared for tomorrow. We'll be studying that, and we'll also explore a few basic Illusions."

"Do we still have to do the physical training?"

"Of course."

"Darned. I hate physical training."

"It's necessary. While I can train you extensively in Illusions, I won't be able to teach you all that you knew."

"All that I knew…" Sakura repeated darkly, feeling a bit resentful of future-Sakura. "What _did_ I know anyway?"

"You were the strongest Shinobi on the continent in terms of raw physical strength." Sasuke smirked, as he felt an odd sort of pride. "I won't say too much. I don't want you to become complacent. I don't expect you to become exactly the same woman that you were either."

"Really?" Sakura asked with more than a little bit of eagerness in her voice.

"Of course. That would be unfair of me, wouldn't it? All I want is for you to be willing to put your every effort into bettering yourself."

"Definitely!" Sakura cheered. "As long as you're with me, I'll do everything I can!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Sasuke shook his head and smiled that strange smile - the one which didn't fit his features.

"What? Why not?"

"I can only help you so much. My knowledge of iryo-ninjutsu is limited, and many facets of your skills in the future were ones you developed on your own. When Naruto and I return from our trip, I'll be taking you to find Tsunade."

"So she can train me?"

"Hn." Was the affirmative reply. "As for convincing her to take you on as an apprentice, you'll have to manage that yourself like you did the first time. Her expectations are very high, and if you work hard, I know you will meet every one of her standards."

They reached the gates of the compound with the rest of the village on the other side.

"Well. See you tomorrow?" Sakura asked hopefully.

Sasuke nodded. "Meet me at Training Ground Three at 7 in the morning."

"See you at seven then..." Sakura clenched her fists together in a moment of determination. "I'll work hard, Sasuke. In fact, I'll become even better than I was."

"As long as you are willing to do your best to achieve that dream, I will do my best to assist you." Sasuke replied with a hint of his earlier pride tinging his voice. "Good night."

Then, turning on his feet, the Uchiha retreated back down the quiet streets of his home, and, taking this as her cue to leave, Sakura did the same in the opposite direction. A few early evening stragglers walked around her, going about their lives toward whatever destination that they had in mind. She stopped in the middle of the streets and looked back. The sight of the many old, unkempt buildings that made up the Uchiha compound filled her sight, but Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

She began to head home, thinking on her day, what she had done so far and what she would would do before she turned in for sleep. She thought about her parents and what they would think if they knew what she knew. She thought about Sasuke and the sudden increased attention that he was giving her. She thought about Naruto and the idea that he and Sasuke had been sent back in time.

And finally, she thought about Ino. Spending time with her friend again had been nostalgic, and she couldn't wait for the next time they met. There was so much she wanted to talk about and so much catching up to do. Hopefully, Ino-pig hadn't gossiped too much about this morning. Sakura smirked in much the same way that she'd seen Sasuke do so often the past few days. For once, she was okay with whatever rumors Ino might spread about her; being rumored to be in a relationship with Sasuke didn't actually seem so bad. It wasn't strictly untrue either. She would be spending much of the next few weeks with Sasuke precisely because they were to become a couple. Somehow, the thought made her feel a little warmer as she unlocked a door and entered a hallway.

"I'm home!" She called.

"Oh?" Her father called back in his usual questioning tone of response. "Welcome home Sakura! How was your day?"

"It was super tiring but… I guess I liked it." She arrived at the kitchen from where her dad's voice had sounded. "Where's mom?"

"Away at the Council meeting." Kizashi replied cheerily, his curly hair as curly as ever. "I'll be making dinner today. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not." Sakura said automatically. That her parents took the time to make food to feed her was something she was becoming increasingly grateful for. Sasuke had done the same and she'd felt guilty for just consuming without giving back. Resolving herself to becoming more dependable, she entered the kitchen with a desire to help. "So… what're you making?" She asked, noticing her father standing over the stove.

"Uh well…" Kizashi grinned as he moved away to let her see his handiwork. "Scrambled eggs."  
"For dinner?"

"Ahha." The man laughed sheepishly. "There'll also be porridge and some bamboo shoots. It'd be nice if we could have some salted fish with that, but we ran out of fish. We do have the ingredients for one of your mom's tofu dishes, but I don't really know how to make it."

"Oh… do you mind if I try making it?"

"You want to try replicating your mom's cooking?"

"Mhm."

"The stove is yours!" Kizashi announced, scraping the scrambled eggs into a small plate, clanking the pot back on the stove, and then backing away with the plate of freshly made scrambled eggs in hand. "I only made enough scrambled eggs for one, and well… dad's gonna eat them. Sorry."

"It's ok dad." Sakura replied offhandedly as she picked up the pan and started to wash it in the sink. Smiling at his daughter's sudden interest in the culinary arts, Kizashi waltzed out the kitchen to enjoy his fare.

Sakura scoured the pantry. Now what did her mother use? Salt. Red wine? Maybe. Vinegar, soy sauce. Slices of beef. Which ones?

"Oh honey, could you bring your ol' dad some soy sauce?"

Pausing from her collection of ingredients, Sakura took the small bottle of soy sauce and walked into the living room. "Here you go dad." She said, placing the item down on the table.

"Thanks honey."

 _Cha!_ Inner Sakura suddenly cried. "You're welcome." Sakura replied brightly as she walked back to the kitchen. Dinner was turning out to be a risky, impromptu affair; she was glad Sasuke had decided not to come.

* * *

"Danzo-sama." A voice whispered almost imperceptibly from behind him.

Acting as if he hadn't heard, Danzo swirled his tea and downed it quickly, slapping the cup onto the table and raising his voice. "Bartender!"

"The girl has left the compound. He is alone." The voice continued.

"Two more cups please." Danzo commanded.

The bartender filled the order in mere seconds with extreme dexterity. "Here you are,"

Danzo took one of the cups and sipped it. Then, spilling the rest onto the stone floor, the old man stood from his seat. "Time to pay a visit to a friend." He slipped a few coins on the counter and left. Many saw him hobble out into the streets. Few saw the shadows which followed him.

* * *

It'd been years since he'd visited the Uchiha Compound. The last time he was there had been during right before the Uchiha clan's imminent uprising. It had probably been one of the most significant and smartest decisions he'd had to make. The last time he'd stood inside the compound had been near their ritual grounds, where he'd had his final conversation with Uchiha Itachi. That conversation had been the turning point in what would have been a great disaster, and he was proud of himself for having been able to sway his best ANBU operative to siding with the Leaf. Uchiha Itachi had been the perfect Shinobi, able to see past his desires, emotions and connections for the greater good.

Of course, someone as logical and intelligent as Uchiha Itachi couldn't have been convinced by anything other than the hard truth, and even though Danzo had played his strongest card in mentioning Itachi's brother, if the Uchiha had any sort of chance of successfully achieved their coup with little to no casualties, Itachi would have sided with his family.

He'd long prepared for the possibility that Itachi, having had a foot in both the innermost political circles of the Uchiha and the Leaf's Council, could have helped his family betray the Leaf. He could even guess that Itachi's father, Uchiha Fugaku, had probably asked him to assassinate the Leaf's political council, consisting of the Hokage and his three councillors. Fugaku was naive. The man had thought that the death of the Leaf's leaders would result in a bloodless and successful coup. If that had been true, Itachi would probably have killed them all in their sleep, literally stabbing him and Hiruzen in the back.

Unfortunately for the Uchiha, the Leaf would not accept their leadership. The death of the leaders would only create unrest, and the other Shinobi clans and forces would rebel. The coup would be far from bloodless and many would have died.

Still, it hadn't hurt to present Itachi with the offer of allowing his brother, Uchiha Sasuke, to remain alive. In truth, even he, the paranoid old warhawk, could see the benefits of leaving one Uchiha alive. The Uchiha had always been an incredibly asset to the Leaf with their Sharingan and their many natural geniuses. In order to secure his brother's loyalty to the Leaf, Itachi had played the villain. The impression left from the Massacre was that the Uchiha weren't at fault. They had been Shinobi of the Leaf to their deaths. Uchiha Itachi was the villain, and for the sake of his family and his family's affiliation, Uchiha Sasuke would be fostered by the Leaf. Then, using what the Leaf had taught him, he would consummate his hatred and kill his own brother.

He would be indebted to the village and the village would eventually see the rise of the Uchiha clan and the Sharingan within its folds once more. That the boy was considered attractive and well-liked by many of the Leaf's future child-bearers was an added stroke of fortune. It was a perfect plan. With the erasure of the clan and all its past history, the Uchiha would be given a chance to start anew with Uchiha Sasuke as its new progenitor. There would be no more history of conflict with the Leaf's central government. People sympathized with the Last Uchiha, almost guaranteeing that the Uchiha would be well-liked in the future and vice versa. The massacre might not have been completely necessary - Uchiha Shisui could probably have stopped the coup with his immensely powerful Kotoamastukami, but it had solved a problem that had existed since the creation of the village and would have spanned generations into the future.

Besides, Shisui's Sharingan, with it's ability to implant an absolute command on a target, was too valuable and dangerous to be held by any but Danzo himself. Even if its use was limited to once every ten years, to have such an ability at his control was something he could not pass up. He'd come very close to using the ability on Hiruzen. Having been officially forced to disband ROOT after his failed attempt to assassinate his old teammate, there had been a period of years during which ROOT had been put to a standstill. In the end, it turned out that using Shisui's Mangekyo ability had been unnecessary. ROOT remained functional, albeit without the knowledge of the Hokage. Danzo had a sneaking suspicion that Hiruzen knew of this slight insubordination, and had made sure to keep his operations in tandem with the Hokage's goals. As long as he didn't antagonize the Kage, he figured that even if Hiruzen knew of ROOT, he would allow ROOT to exist simply because he knew as well as Danzo did that ROOT was necessary.

Just as a tree survived on the strengths of the roots hiding deep underneath its trunks, the Hidden Leaf village survived and thrived on the strengths of its hidden foundation. At his age, however, he wouldn't be alive much longer. ROOT would last as long as he lived. He needed a successor, someone who knew as much as he did and was willing to do what was necessary to protect the Leaf. Uchiha Itachi had been the perfect candidate. When it came to efficiency, intellect, and the ability to see the bigger picture, few matched Uchiha Itachi's relative genius. Danzo was proud to have been the one to have had Itachi under his command. Itachi's forced self-exile was one of the few things he regretted, but it was a cost that needed to be paid to quell the issue that was the Uchiha clan.

Now, with Uchiha Sasuke seeming to finally have developed his capabilities, Danzo, being sharp as ever, saw great potential. Genetic traits were often shared with close family, and if the boy was anything like his brother, then he would be malleable. With a few years of effort, Sasuke could be made to become the perfect Shinobi that his brother had been.

With the boy's sudden growth, it would be wise to begin making adjustments to the boy's goals and behavior early.

Danzo drummed a forefinger on his cane impatiently as the sound of humming came from the kitchen. Making a few hand signals, he commanded his ROOT operatives to move out of sight. Then, saturating the building with the aura of his Killing Intent, Danzo walked to the end of the living room in which he had been waiting and slid open the door to what was no doubt the kitchen.

A katana speared through his heart, and he coughed, blood dribbling out his mouth. He hadn't even seen it coming. Danzo raised his single eye to see Uchiha Sasuke staring at him with a look of horror in his Sharingan eyes. Then, sacrificing one of the eyes in his arms, he cast the Izanagi, changing the fate of his death and reappearing behind the Last Uchiha, a kunai pointing on the boy's back.

The boy raised his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. "Who are you?"

"Truly you impress me, Uchiha Sasuke." Danzo intoned heavily, ignoring the question. "To have almost killed me in a single blow. If I had been anyone else, I'd have been dead."

"Why are you in my house, what do you want?"

"You are not in the position to be asking questions, but allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shimura Danzo, I am a member of the Hokage's Council. As for why I'm here, well, let's just say I have an offer I'd like to make you."

"How do I know you aren't lying to me? I've never heard of you before."

Danzo chuckled and rescinded his Killing Intent. "You are strong, Uchiha Sasuke, and your paranoia will serve you well. I've heard you've awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, might I ask how?"

The boy suddenly rushed forward away from the intruder to his home, turning on his feet to throw the pan he had in his gloved hand. Batting the pan away with his cane, Danzo closed the gap between them and slapped his cane into the boy's knees. There was a crack as the bone broke, and the newly crippled boy stumbled with a cry of pain.  
"There comes a point where paranoia crosses the line of stupidity. Even if you believe me to be an enemy, you should recognize that I am more powerful than you are. In situations like these, it would be best to play along until the enemy either leaves or reveals a weakness for you to exploit, neither of which I have done." Danzo tisked sadly. "And here I thought you'd be more perceptive."

The boy turned, sitting on his kitchen floor as he held his injured leg. "What do you want with me?"

"Ah." Danzo smiled. "Your mistrust is well placed. I assure you, the name Shimura Danzo is well-known in the Shinobi archives. I am the Third's shadow and former teammate. Won't you hear my offer, Uchiha Sasuke?" Once more, he emanated his Killing Intent, testing the boy's will and probing to see the limits of the boy's endurance.

The boy grunted and seemed to give up. Glaring balefully with his dark eyes, the boy waited, and Danzo decided to continue. "I should perhaps preface with a more detailed introduction. I am a Shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. My loyalty lies with the village, and I am willing to do anything and everything to protect it. In fact, there is nothing, no atrocity, that I am unwilling to enact to ensure that our village survives and flourishes. That is who I am. I am the man who operates under the shadows who commits the necessary deeds that the Hokage himself cannot and shall never dirty his hands with. The Hokage is the political figurehead who commands most public operations. I am the man who does what needs to be done, the true protector of our village. And you, Uchiha Sasuke, are someone who I have deemed worthy of aiding me. I am willing to dispense my knowledge and skills to you, in return, I only ask for your undying loyalty to the village." Danzo paused to examine the boy whose glare seemed to have lessened into understanding. "Of course, whatever skills you learn under me will help you in your goal of vengeance. And so, I offer you this chance to attain power and aid the Leaf to the greatest extent of your abilities."

The boy held his leg and frowned, making no reply. Danzo had heard from various sources that the boy was stoic and anti-social. It seemed the intel wasn't wrong. Stoicism he could deal with. In fact, he preferred it, especially in prospective ROOT members. "Of course, you don't have to make the decision now. I will return in seven days. The sooner I begin training you, the sooner you'll be able to grow. I hope you will have made your decision then."

"Is that all?" The boy suddenly asked as he turned away.

"If you're worried about your wound, one of my subordinates will heal you after I leave." He paused, turning his head to the left to give the boy one last look. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"No." The boy said, his expression unreadable.

Turning away, Danzo began to hobble out of the kitchen, the smell of burnt rice infiltrating his nose. What a waste of a Sharingan. To have thrown it away on an Izanagi in such a situation had been the result of a horrible lack of foresight. Perhaps he shouldn't deride Hiruzen too much. The God of Shinobi wasn't the only one who was growing old. There was no sound, no warning, not even a hint of premonition as his left arm was severed from his body at the shoulders.

He felt no pain, not even shock as he took his last step while being oblivious to what had happened. And then he realized that his arm had been severed.

His first reaction was shock, his mind racing at billions of neuron transmissions a second. Losing his left arm meant he couldn't use the Izanagi with one of its eyes, at least not without sacrificing Shisui's eye, the only Sharingan he had left. But if he used the Izanagi, he would once again have his left arm and the nine Sharingan that were implanted there.

He should've been better prepared. The fact that the boy didn't try to use his Sharingan Illusion to defend himself during their conversation should've warned him as to the strangeness of the setting. It was as if something had made his mind sluggish. In fact, his instincts should have been placed on high alert the moment he'd been stabbed in the heart.

All these thoughts flashed through his head in a second and as he turned to face the boy, his ROOT escorts flashed into the scene, ready to assist and intervene. They landed next to him, weapons at the ready, and vanished where they stood, their existence completely erased.

Danzo's eye flicked to his side. A pile of ashes, what remained of his left arm, lay on the living room mat. His arm was gone.

Realizing that he stood no chance, the old man dropped his cane and raised his remaining hand in surrender. "Uchiha Sasuke." He said in a heavy tone. "What is the meaning of this?"

The boy smirked, his Sharingan now fully visible and active. They were indeed Mangekyo Sharingan, but they were mismatched, meaning one of them wasn't his own.

"Where did you get those eyes?" Danzo asked sharply.

"You're in no position to be asking questions, Shimura Danzo." The air suddenly grew heavy.

Danzo felt a shiver run down his spine. This boy wasn't only capable of killing him, it was clear that this boy would kill him by the end of this day. Shimura Danzo was not going to walk out of the Uchiha Compound alive. That fact was made perfectly clear by the sheer concentration of the boy's Killing Intent.

"You hate me." Danzo noted.

"That's putting it lightly. It seems our situations have been reversed."

Seeing no other alternative, Danzo began to pool his Chakra into his bandaged eye. All he had left was his Kotoamatsukami. It was his last resort, and if he was going to die anyway, then he would at least do something to force Uchiha Sasuke's loyalty to the Leaf. He flashed his remaining hand toward his bandage to uncover his eye; the arm fell to the floor, perfectly cut from his body.

Years of experience and personal training prevented him from screaming in pain or reacting in any such similar manner.

The Uchiha boy watched him warily. "In situations like these, it would be best to play along until the enemy either leaves or reveals a weakness for you to exploit, neither of which I have done… and here I thought you'd be more perceptive."

"What have you done to my subordinates?" Danzo asked. His senses were now as alert as they had ever been, and he realized that the wounds caused by the dismemberment of his arms had already been cauterized; the boy had probably used some sort of super-heated blade.. but when? He hadn't felt any concentration of fire or lightning release Chakra. He should've seen an attack of that caliber. And the cold metal of a blade that had pierced his heart when he'd first entered... where was that blade now? The only reason he had confidently approached was precisely because he hadn't sensed any of the usual signs of danger. _When?!_ _How?!_

"Your subordinates are safe. Don't worry about them." The boy's Sharingan flared. " _Sit down, Danzo._ "

He sat, crossing his legs. "If I am your only target, I beg you release my subordinates."

At that, the Uchiha boy laughed. "If I didn't know you any better, I might have thought you to be an empathetic old man. Unfortunately for you, I know exactly what kind of person you are. The loss of a subordinate means nothing to you."

He fell silent. Without his arms, he couldn't cast jutsu, neither was he capable of fighting this foe.

The boy pulled up a stool and sat. "You asked me how I attained the Mangekyo Sharingan. That's simple. My eyes changed soon after I killed my brother. No. He isn't dead yet. He dies three years from now."

Danzo narrowed his eye in confusion. "Explain."

"I will." The boy's expression returned to its default smirk. "You died too easily the first time I killed you, Danzo. This time, I'm going to let you know exactly why you deserved to die. And then… well, whether or not you die will be up to me."

Danzo's eye widened in realization. "You come from the future."

"Indeed. I should perhaps preface with a more detailed introduction. I know of nearly every major decision you've made since the Second Shinobi War… including the decisions you've made immediately prior to the Uchiha Massacre."

Danzo's eye narrowed once more, this time with a sharp, angry gleam. "My decisions have always been to the benefit of the Leaf."

"No. Your decisions nearly destroyed the Leaf. In fact, your decisions nearly destroyed the entire world. Let me tell you why you are wrong. Oh, and if you try to do anything to use Uchiha Shisui's eye against me, or move in any way that you think I will not approve of, I will kill you instantly. So sit still and let me tell you how your decisions caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people and the complete destruction of the Hidden Leaf village." The boy leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together. "Let's start with the story of an organization called the Akatsuki. Does the name sound familiar? It should. You're the reason they became the criminal organization they are today. You're the reason their leader destroyed the village and slaughtered over 98% of its population."

The old man's frown deepened. "...Explain."

Sasuke's smirk vanished as he thought on what he knew of Danzo's many feats of evil and idiocy, readying himself for what he sensed would be a long evening; if it weren't for Naruto, he'd have killed the old man the moment he walked into the Uchiha Compound. There was no reason why he couldn't still just cut off the man's head. Naruto would understand. He'd be unhappy about Danzo's murder, but he would understand. Intentional or not, Danzo was the source of most of the evils of his time. Someone like that was a bane to humanity, and at the moment, the old man's life depended on whether or not Uchiha Sasuke felt merciful enough to spare it, Naruto and his ideals of peace and forgiveness be damned.

No matter what world they were in, Shimura Danzo deserved to be executed.

* * *

Author's Note: This took me forever to write… I hope you liked it. Maybe. It's up to you. No pressure. You don't really have to…

I'm sorry if you didn't like it. I'll go away now.


	13. Chapter 13

**Interrogation**

* * *

 _The Second Shinobi World War had been the result of two powerful factions contending for power over the continental scene. The Hidden Leaf and Hidden Rock villages had been the dominant political factions of the time and had both been expanding their influence greatly. Perceiving the Hidden Leaf to be a too powerful threat to the balance of powers between the Great Five, the Hidden Rock began to adopt a more military agenda, consuming the smaller surrounding villages and territory and expanding the territories of the Land of Earth. At the time, Danzo had been in command of a large hidden military force, the ROOT. While the Third Hokage engaged in open discussions to settle the tensions between the Leaf and the Rock, Danzo commanded secret, sabotage operations to ensure that the Rock would be beaten regardless of the result of the settlements that may or may not be made._

 _One such operation had been to disrupt the settlement talks between the Hidden Rock and the Hidden Sand. A group of elite Leaf Shinobi had been sent to the summit on a mission to raid the Hidden Sand's forces and assassinate their emissary under the guise as Hidden Rock special forces; ANBU._

 _The mission had been a failure. The majority of saboteurs had been captured, as had been planned. All of them had been Shinobi of Earth Chakra affinity, and all of them had been prepared to die for the Hidden Leaf village. As long as the Sand perceived the Rock to be an enemy, their mission would have been a success, and, without the support of the Hidden Sand, the Rock faction would have been forced to withdraw from the war. Every captive had been prepared to die, unknowing of the fact that that was exactly what was expected of them. The mission would have been a success if it had not been for the actions of one Hatake Sakumo. The famed White Fang of the Hidden Leaf had, at the intel of his teammate's captivity, made the decision to rescue them from certain death by execution as would have been expected to befall ANBU and especially back-stabbing saboteurs._  
 _Unfortunately, for the Hidden Leaf, the White Fang's skills with the lightning blade was renowned throughout the continent. The Sand forces had recognized him, and, in light of that recognition, had realized the truth of their captives' disguises._

 _In righteous anger and disgust against the Hidden Leaf, the Rock and Sand factions strengthened their alliance, and the war dragged on. Thousands more died before the war finally ended with the destruction of the Land of Rain, the country on which their battles had been fought. The Leaf's legendary White Fang had chosen to abandon his mission and rescue his teammates despite undoubtedly knowing the truth behind their mission. There was a reason that the Shinobi's first code was to always always make the mission a number one priority._

 _Disgraced by the village for his actions, Hatake Sakumo had been found dead in his home by his son on a bright Winter morning several weeks after his return to the village from his botched mission. Too ashamed by the burden of his failure and the stacking body counts of the continued war, the man had written a long note of apology before committing suicide as an act of personal atonement._

 _If there were any example to show the importance of the mission-first mentality, the failed sabotage of the settlement talks between the Hidden Rock and Sand would forever be the model case._

* * *

 **Hinata**

* * *

Hinata ghosted through the empty white halls of her home, and felt a bit relieved in knowing that the dark path she was taking would be one of isolation; almost everyone else was asleep. Silencing the shuffling of her footsteps, she became suddenly aware of the noise of the rustling leaves. It was the sound of the forests that surrounded the village, the ever-present caress of the wind against thousands of trees which became louder when the wind picked up.

Tightening her shawl around her cheeks to prevent the cold from biting too deeply into her ears or cheeks, she stepped out into the courtyard where she'd met with her cousin only the day before. The cold wafted against her face and she yawned. Sleep had been difficult the night before, and after her father had departed, she'd stayed awake, lying perfectly still as she thought of her father's visit. There was no doubt he cared about her, and now that she'd caught him in an act of affection which she was sure he hadn't expected her to see, Hinata didn't know what to expect anymore.

She did, however, have years of habit ingrained into her, and even if she didn't know how her father would respond, she knew exactly how to address him. Nearby, she could hear the sounds of another joining her without greeting. The presence trailed behind her silently, following her in the darkness towards the dojo.

Hinata stared straight ahead, trying to think of how to react. She should greet him. It would be expected of her, and at least it wouldn't seem out of the ordinary to do so. Hinata held her tongue.

Neji was blatantly glaring at her from behind her back. She could see it with her Byakugan, and it made her feel nervous. Of course her cousin disliked her. It had been her fault that he'd suffered the previous morning. If she hadn't been so slow on learning what her father taught her, Neji wouldn't have decided to give her tips, and he wouldn't have said those things that had so angered her father. If only he were born clan heir in her place.

Awkwardly ignoring that Neji was even there, she reached her destination. They entered the dojo with him walking in behind her. She trailed deeper inside towards the center of the matted room. Neji slid the doors shut, and the sounds of the forest became muted.

Unnerved by the fact that suddenly they were alone together in almost complete silence, Hinata quickly shuffled toward the lamp at the middle of the building, blushing at the fact that she had to detour backwards to get to the light source.

"Good morning, Princess." He finally spoke, breaking the silence and making her wince.

"Good morning." she muttered almost inaudibly as she clicked on the lights.

"Still pathetic as ever I see."

"Y-yes." Hinata responded. She hated her stutter. She hated her occasional and irrational fear of speaking up at normal volumes; she hated being a shy wreck.

"Well Princess, we'll just have to wait until Hiashi arrives. It seems he's had a change of heart." The clan genius scoffed disbelievingly at his own remark. "I wonder what he's up to."

Hinata shook her head, too ashamed to speak.

Slowly but with a confidence in his steps, Neji circled the outer ring of the dojo mat. "We've arrived earlier than we were told to. Tell me Princess, what do you think of our clan leader?"

"H-he… he's-" Hinata swallowed hard and bit her tongue before continuing. "He wants the clan to do well, and he's well-respected. He spends a lot of time training me and Hanabi when he's not at meetings. S-sometimes he can be strict or a little harsh. Father always wears white, and he's mastered almost every Gentle Fist style. And…" _I'm a disappointment to him._

Pausing, Hinata shifted her gaze from her cousin's sandals to his face.

Neji's expression broke into a sudden, sardonic smile which transitioned quickly into laughter. The Hyuuga genius snickered softly, chuckling with just enough volume for Hinata to hear every cut of breath. "I told you to tell me what you think of our Clan Leader, not describe what he wears or what he does, Princess. Let me reword that question. Do you like your father?"

"I-I.." Hinata stuttered. It made her want to disappear. Someone like her, so weak and useless who couldn't even speak properly, who was a burden to her family who couldn't even understand a simple question. She didn't know how she felt about her father. His disappointment and his cool, often toneless voice cropped up and contrasted greatly with what she saw of him the previous night.

"Do you hate him?"

"I-..." And then she realized what he was doing. Neji was intentionally goading her. "No." She answered with assurance.

"Why? After all he's done to you. Even if you don't hate him, he hates you."

"That's not true." She said in defense.

"It is true. Hiashi hates weakness, and you, Princess are the epitome of weakness."

Hinata fell silent.

"If you hadn't been trained since you were a baby, you would be no better than those civilians who think they can become Shinobi just by entering the Academy. In fact, you only manage above-average performance because you have tutors with you almost every waking hour. And yet, you remain utterly, completely incompetent."

Hinata's eyes went all the way down to her toes.  
"Think of all the hours you spend everyday trying to improve. Think on how slow you are progressing. Princess, why do you bother pushing yourself? Just hearing you speak makes me pity you. And worse, Uzumaki Naruto-"

Hinata looked up in surprise, and Neji gave her a scornful laugh. "Anyone who bothers to pay any sort of attention to you - not that they usually do - can see that you follow him around like a fangirl. I hadn't thought you to be that type. You idolize the village idiot. Do you know-"

"He's not an idiot!" Hinata blurted and then shut her mouth quickly.

"Excuse me, Princess? I'm not sure you know what you're talking about."

"Naruto-"

"He runs around pulling pranks all over the village, getting into trouble at every turn. He's a skilless loser who talks big and has no future. That is his fate. That's the kind of person you look up to."

Hinata stared in shock at her cousin. He was being cruel, intentionally so, and he didn't know the first thing about Naruto. "Naruto-kun is a splendid person." She said angrily. "He will become the Hokage because he never goes back on his words."

"He will become Hokage? What evidence do you have to support that assertion, Princess? Look at me." Neji sneered. "I can try twice as hard as your precious 'Naruto-kun' to become clan leader, but I will never be given the position. Do you know why?" The boy began walking towards her as he spoke. "Because no matter what I do, I will always be a member of the Branch family. I will always bear the Caged Seal; it doesn't matter how powerful I am or how great the feats I will come to achieve. That's reality. That's fate. I am more than qualified to take up the clan leadership, but my qualifications are meaningless. I've been branded a slave for life. And here you're telling me that this boy, with no skill, no aptitude to learning, no idea of how the Shinobi System works - this complete retard - is going to become Hokage? On what grounds!?" Standing directly before her Neji's words came out loud and harsh.

Hinata looked away, unable to look on at her cousin's angry visage. "P-please stop yelling at me."

Neji was silent for a few moments as he seemed to calm his temper. "Answer my question." He demanded in a softer tone of voice.

"I… I don't know."

"That's because you are wrong. Fate has given me mental and physical prowess, making me a genius. Fate has made you a clan heiress and me a slave by birth. The life of Uzumaki Naruto is also defined by the fate of his birth. He will never become Hokage no matter how hard he tries."

"No." Hinata looked up defiantly at her cousin.

Neji arched an eyebrow. "No?"  
"No."

"Then.." The boy smiled and raised his hands, his fingers shooting towards her. Hinata closed her eyes, waiting for the blow to come. The fingers glided across her hair, slipping underneath the folds of her shawl and neatly parted it from her head and shoulders. Hinata opened her eyes with mild relief. Neji threw the colorless shawl behind her and stepped a short distance back. He raised a hand in a beckoning gesture. "Show me the merit of your convictions. Show me that fate can be challenged."

* * *

Desperately, she tried to beat him. Even knocking him off his feet would have been a victory to her. Every blow she made was matched, every jab of her fingers countered easily. With her Byakugan active, her focus narrowed entirely on her cousin's body, and she saw nothing else. One moment of exchange led to the next, with Neji looking down blankly at her. She could feel from his look a feeling similar to one her father exuded; Neji was disappointed, as if he wanted to be beaten. Yet try as she might, she couldn't even land a single blow. Her wrists began to hurt and her arms shook from the force of Neji's effortless counters. Her breathing grew ragged; Neji remained unfazed. Hinata could feel the sore pain indicating the blockage of a number of pressure points. They weren't enough to fell her, but they crippled her significantly.

Her vision swam as she panted.

"What's wrong, Princess? Are you giving up?"

Hinata concentrated on her target, her senses sharpening to a razor point. She would win. She wasn't giving up. With a last concerted effort, she stepped forwards, fingers extending outwards. The first attack landed right where she'd intended it to. So did the second, the third and subsequent strikes before she realized what was happening. And then, Neji caught her wrist. "Remember what I said to you yesterday, Princess?"

Hinata let out her pent-up breath, breathing hard against the closed pressure points covering several areas on her chest and over her collar bones. Neji glared at her as she wheezed. It was so hard to breath. She needed air.

"I can counter any one of your attempts at closing off my pressure points. You can't hurt me."

Hinata whimpered as her cousin's grip on her wrist tightened.

"That's enough." A deeper voice commanded. Hinata had never been more glad to hear her father's voice as Neji dropped her bruised appendage and bowed.  
"Hiashi-sama." Neji greeted politely.

"You're early." Hiashi noted both to his daughter and to his nephew. Even in the early morning, the man was cleanly dressed, his long hair smoothed back behind him; the leader of the Hyuuga was rarely seen to be disheveled.

"Of course." Neji replied, flicking his own hair, which had somehow come over his shoulders, behind his back. "It would be disrespectful to make the leader of the Hyuuga wait on his lessers."

Neji's words were a formal concession acknowledging his inferiority. Somehow, he made it sound like he was making an insult. The subtlety was lost on Hinata as she continued gasping for air, but they were not lost on the clan's leader.

Walking over to the two youths, Hiashi put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Hinata."

"O-" She gasped painfully. "Otou-sama."

A finger jabbed into a point near the base of her neck along with several more into select areas in her chest. Hinata's breathing eased and she took in several greedy breaths before her discomfort was finally alleviated.

"Sit on the sidelines for now. I will be conducting a brief examination of Neji's skills. Pay close attention."

"Yes, father." Hinata turned a feet and began walking to the edge of the mat. To her surprise, she saw Hanabi already kneeling neatly at the edge of the mats. Hinata picked up her pace and quickly knelt next to her sister. The girl was dressed in a sleeveless top and shorts. "Are you cold?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"A little." Hanabi muttered offhandedly, her attention focused entirely on their father and their genius cousin. Hinata did the same and realized that her father had been waiting for her to pay attention; she blushed in shame.

Hiashi nodded and then turned away. "Show me your stance, Neji."

The boy stood still for a moment as if deciding whether or not to comply before grudgingly bending his knees and extending his arms.

Silently, Hiashi pushed his palms forward, one below the other, then, unexpectedly, he closed his palms into fists. Even Neji seemed intrigued. The style of the Gentle Fist did not match its name; the Hyuuga generally favored open palm strikes with its easy Chakra expulsion and precise jabs with their fingers to close off various pressure points.

"Neji." The clan leader said loudly.

The boy snapped to attention and readjusted his posture.

"Hold nothing back."

Neji grinned ferally and ran forwards, shouting at the top of his lungs as he drove his hands forward in a blur. "Eight Trigram: Two Palms!"

Hanabi gasped in surprise as the attacks landed perfectly. Hiashi crossed his arms, one pointing down and the other over his chest, protecting his vitals and stepping around his attacker in an attempt to dodge as many blows as he could.

"Four Palms!"

Once again all four strikes landed, and Hanabi bit her lips. "What is father doing?!"

"Use your Byakugan, Hanabi." Hinata suggested.

"Eight Palms!"

Hanabi fell into awed silence.

"Sixteen Palms!" The blows were fast and merciless.

"Thirty-two Palms!" Neji growled, his body glowing a faint blue as the Chakra seeped visibly out of his body.

"Sixty-four Palms!" Neji roared as he and his opponent danced around the mat, his body visibly straining to keep up with the immense demand being placed on it. "One-hundred Twenty-eight-"

There was a crack as Neji's Chakra popped several joints on his arms and fingers, forcing him to stop. He stepped forward as if to deliver the final move, but his arms merely fell limply to his side.

This time, it was Hinata who gasped. "Neji nii-san!"

" _Damn_ _you!_ "Neji breathed angrily under his breathe. " _How?!_ "

"You will address your clan leader with respect." Hiashi replied sternly but made no further reaction otherwise.

Realizing what had just come out of his mouth, Neji dropped to his knees. "Hiashi-sama..."

"I merely did the same as you did with my daughter." As he spoke, Chakra exuded from his pores. "As a fully grown man, my Chakra density is greater than yours. The only reason you could unblock the pressure points that my daughter managed to land was due to the pressure points you had closed off on her arms and shoulders, eliminating her ability to correctly mold Chakra into her fingers."

"That's not true." Neji shot back indignantly at the affront to his skills. He was rewarded with several quick jabs to his shoulders and side, causing the left half of his body to sag.

"Is it?" Hiashi asked.

Neji grit his teeth and then with a burst of Chakra, he steadied himself into a balanced, standing position. Hinata saw her father's eyes visibly widen; the man quickly resumed the serene, objective expression he wore before. "Have you tried rotation?"

Neji gazed suspiciously at the clan leader. After a moment, he offered a hesitant reply. "I have."

"Show me."

Neji glanced briefly at the sisters sitting at his periphery. Then, slowly, he began to move in a circle, his right foot landing horizontally on the mat, his left foot following and stepping perpendicular to his right. The right foot came again, then left then right in precise clipped patterns. Hinata imagined a perfect square would have been printed on the straw mats. Neji's feet were very clean, as were his dark, almost form-fitting overall.

Neji's feet moved, rotating faster and faster before finally disappearing from view under a thick cover of Chakra.

"Whoa." Hanabi said aloud. Hinata felt the same.

" _Kaiten!_ " A spherical aura of blue surrounded and clouded Neji's form, making him invisible to even the Byakugan. Hiashi watched grimly for the duration and, like a top losing its rotational momentum, Neji slowed down.

Hinata stared at her cousin with unabashed admiration. The Revolving Heaven was a technique that only Father was capable of performing. No other member of the clan, not even Granpa, had been known to have achieved the mastery required; to concentrate a balance of Chakra from all 361 pressure points and to control and moderate them each individually was a task requiring levels of concentration and Chakra control that was near super-human.

Her father… the man seemed almost excited, or as excited as Hinata had ever seen him; his face remained impassive, but he held a position that she only remembered seeing when she was small and he more expressive; Hiashi held his hand under his chin with his elbow resting on his other arm. Seeming to affirm his thoughts, he proceeded to drop his arms to his side. "Neji. Watch my feet carefully."

Hinata instantly focused on her father's feet as they moved. His right foot lead out, its outer edge making an acute angle with the inside of his left foot. His right foot again and in three quick steps, he'd completed one revolution. Without prelude, his feet blurred and were instantly shrouded in Chakra. The circle of Chakra which surrounded the man had a texture that was visibly thicker and brighter than the one which Neji had exuded. It was also smaller and more controlled, but Hinata had no doubt that it could have spanned a wide area.

Just as quickly as he'd started, Hiashi stopped, his foot slapping visibly on the straw mat. There was no gradual slowing down like with Neji's descent from speed.

"Did you see?" He said to Neji.

"Yes, Hiashi-sama." The boy replied, the bite in his voice gone and replaced by a plain, toneless voice.

"Good. You will be teaching Hinata the first steps and the theory of what you can do. You will stop just before the first light of dawn. We will have breakfast then. Hanabi!"

"Yes, father!" The nine year-old chirped eagerly.

"Come with me."

The girl stood, stopping only to mouth _'That was really cool'_ to her older sister before bounding off toward their father. As Hanabi listened with devout attention to their father, Hinata watched as Neji walked over and then knelt in front of her. The boy gazed at her coolly, and, with the help of her now-remembered lessons, Hinata managed to maintain eye contact.

"I'm sorry." Neji started to say.

"Oh no." Hinata immediately responded. "It was mostly my fault. If I hadn't been so weak-"

"You're not weak, Princ- Hinata-sama. I was merely taunting you and venting my frustration at..." Neji trailed off and then bowed, his forehead tapping lightly on the floor. "Forgive me."

"Neji nii-san… I-" Hinata swallowed her stutter angrily. Now was not the time to stutter. "I forgive you. There was no harm done. Um..."

Neji sat up. "Yes?"

"Are your fingers OK?" Hinata voiced with genuine concern.

Neji wiggled said fingers. "They are fine. Your father was right. I blocked the nine main pressure points on your arms and shoulders to weaken your strikes. Do you remember which ones and why I aimed for them?"

The pressure points were one of the first things driven into her head at youth. Remembering all three hundred and sixty-one had been a challenge in and of itself. Remembering their effects and the most effective cluster to close off had been much more difficult. Still, many of the effects could be guessed from their positions. "I think so." Hinata replied.

"Hinata-sama, I know you know them. Reply with more confidence."

"Yes, Neji nii-san."

Neji looked at her strangely, and Hinata almost looked away. "You and I are of the same age. Please don't treat me like I am your father."

"Yes, Neji nii-san.. Oh."

"Just Neji will do."

Hinata nodded.

"Have you eaten?"

Hinata shook her head.

"If we are to continue doing physical activity at this time, you need to eat, even a little bit before you come here." Neji chided.

"Hai." Hinata answered with a tongue in her cheek. She was feeling hungry, no thanks to Neji bringing up the subject.

Neji sighed. "Let's go over your theory then."

* * *

 **Danzo**

* * *

"You see?" Danzo interrupted. "You see? I was right. It is precisely because they could and did in fact become enemies of the Leaf that my decisions were justified. It was unfortunate that their leaders managed to escape. If Hanzo hadn't been so incompetent and the destruction of the Akatsuki had been conducted as planned, the decision to annihilate them would have been correct. This 'Nagato' you speak of would have been killed and the Leaf would not have suffered destruction."

"You are wrong." Sasuke sneered. "If you hadn't pushed the Akatsuki into despair, they would've kept to their original methods."

"That is debatable. You come from a fixed future, but what if events had been different? As you have said, they've shown themselves entirely capable and willing to engage in destructive methodology. How then, can you blame my actions? How then can you claim that I was wrong in my decision? What a-"

"Shut up." Sasuke shook with fury as he withheld the urge to simply behead the old fucker right then and there. Danzo was hopeless, but killing him again like this would be unsatisfactory.

Danzo stopped talking, but the smug look he wore only increased Sasuke's desire to flay every inch of skin from the man's body and to mutilate him beyond recognition. "It seems you're unwilling to kill me. There is a reason you are keeping me alive. Perhaps I can be of value."

There was a brief flick of something in the air, and Danzo's sharp eye snapped to attention for that fraction of a second enough for him to see it. And then a chunk of his cheeks slid onto the floor, the wound instantly cauterized. The old man shook but withstood the pain; an urge to feel the wound with his left hand caused him a moment of disorientation - he had no left hand, or left arm for that matter. "I see. That's how you did it." Danzo frowned, the pain from both his recent dismemberments pulsing dully while the fresh wound on his cheeks continued to send shock signals to his nervous system. "A useful trick - hiding a katana-wielding Shadow Clone in another dimension. It begs the question as to how you convinced Hatake Kakashi to give you his Sharingan."

"Very perceptive of you." Sasuke cooled his temper and plastered a smirk on his face as he brought said clone into the room. The clone, unaware of the conversation that had been happening, cooly held his long blade which was crackling with electricity against Danzo's neck. "Knowing won't make things any better for you." Said the clone.

Danzo smirked, copying the Uchiha's expression. "It shows your incompet-" His words cut off quickly as his nose was shaved from his face, the electricity from the blade cauterizing the newest subtraction to the old man's face. Danzo grunted and began to breath loudly through what was left of his nose.

"Let me put this in terms you would understand." Said the original Uchiha boy. "The seed of hatred that you planted grew into a tree. You claim that it is the tree's fault for growing, that it deserves to be cut down for sprouting - this very same tree that you personally put into the dirt. A farmer cannot blame his unwanted crops for growing if he is the very one to have sown them into the fields."

"I agree." Danzo replied. "And it is the farmer's responsibility to cut away defective crops, regardless of the part he played in planting them. Only then will his field be bountiful without being excessive. Only the results matter."

"The farmer should not have planted those seeds in the first place." Sasuke growled. "A farmer must remove the weeds from his fields in order to allow his fields to flourish. That is expected of him, but the farmer who plants those very weeds with his own hands then asks why his fields are full of unwanted vegetation is a fool who deserves to have his head removed."

Danzo was sure that a real farmer who was bad at farming did not really deserve decapitation; the punishment was clearly disproportionate. Instead of voicing his thought, he silently glared at the boy and thought on his next words. Nitpicking an analogy would only bring him more trouble than good, and he was acutely aware of the fact that the only reason he was even still alive was so that this boy could prove him wrong. The moment Danzo admitted to his crimes would be the moment Sasuke will have achieved his obvious goal. After that, there was nothing Danzo knew of that would stop the boy from killing him. No matter how wrong he was, the moment he lost grip on his beliefs and convictions would mean his death. And of course, Shimura Danzo did not want to die. So he grit his teeth, ignoring the cool tip of the blade digging slightly into the flesh on his neck and the pulsing pain where his arms and parts of his face had been stripped away, and managed to think of a way to stall for time. He couldn't lie. Not to the Sharingan, but he could draw out the conversation. "What else do you claim I have done that makes me so despicable to you?"

Sasuke, red eyes scrutinizing his target, leaned back on his stool, resting his elbows on the counter behind him, and smirked. "What do you remember about Yakushi Kabuto?"

Danzo hummed in thought, stalling for as long as he could to appear as if in thought before speaking. "Yakushi Kabuto.. He was an exceptional spy who I found at a young age, an incredibly intelligent boy who mastered the Mystical Palm of Healing at the age of six."

As he spoke, Danzo thought of his ROOT operatives. They should realize soon that he was missing, and, knowing where he'd last visited, they should be bringing reinforcements. He didn't know how powerful this 'time-traveler' was, but he'd wager not as strong as all the forces of ROOT that were stationed in the village.

The boy's eyes narrowed into a glare, one of many that'd been leveled that evening. "You sent his mother figure away, and then forced him to undertake tutelage with Orochimaru. The last mission you had him do, the assassination of the same mother that you'd taken from him, was the moment he'd lost himself and became a psychopath who was to cause the majority of the Fourth Shinobi War's casualties with his Edo Tensei years later."

Danzo closed his eyes. "There are many things that could have happened to him between then and now. What says my actions were necessarily the cause?"  
In a blink, the clone that had been standing over him seemed to flicker. One moment the clone held a heated blade at his neck, the next moment, the blade's position had shifted.

Danzo looked down slowly, trembling uncontrollably as he gazed down. A segment of his inner thigh had been disintegrated into a mound of burnt flesh.

The old man opened his mouth in a silent scream as the glowing red of the heated blade moved slowly up the inner part of his upper legs. He didn't dare move. Any movement could cause the blade to drive in through an unwelcome angle.

The clone leaned forward slightly and breathed directly into his ears as it slid its blade under and up the skin of his leg with excruciating care. "I know what you're doing."

The paper walls of the compound doors vibrated as waves of sound reverberated on its thin surface. As he screamed, Danzo prayed that his ROOT operatives came to his assistance soon. If they delayed any longer, he would punish them when he survived the ordeal. How dare they leave him to suffer like this?

* * *

Author's Note: Chapter End


	14. Chapter 14

**Naruto**

* * *

Naruto lay comfortably with his world tilted horizontally. One ear lay flat, pressed into the flesh of a warm cushion, and the floor looked like a wall - at least from his angle. Something dug into his other ear, the one not comfortably settled against the warm cushion, and Naruto winced.

He was instantly rewarded with a stern "Naruto, don't move!" from his wife.

"I don't get why you never have earwax." Naruto grumbled. "It's always me, and I get them so frequently. What am I doing wrong? Why does God see fit to endow me with a propensity for earwax?"

"Well at least you don't have nose hairs... at least not that much anyway."

"Yeah I'm a hairy ape. Before you know it, I'm going to sprout a tail and leap away forever and ever and never come back."

"No you wouldn't."

"Yeah you're right." Naruto chuckled and received another quick reprimand of 'don't move please' as his wife carefully extracted another cluster of earwax with the wooden shovel of the earwax picker. "Sorry." He apologized and then closed his eyes to his wife's soothing hum. "If I sprouted a tail and became a monkey," Naruto began to say. "I'll be forced to stay because you wouldn't let me leave."

"Actually," His wife continued to dig into his ear. Did these sessions usually take so long or did Hinata just like to take her sweet time. Either way he wasn't complaining. He liked spending time with her, even if it was for something as mundane as laying on her thigh as she prodded the insides of his ear. "You'd probably stay because I wouldn't be able to drive you away."

"Mmm." Naruto smiled. "That's true. Nothing will stop me from coming back to you, even if I have to tear through the fabric of space-time to do it."

His wife sighed. "Now you sound like one of those cliche characters in one of Jiraiya-sensei's romantic novels. That's really lame, Naruto."

"Heh." Naruto's smile transitioned into a grin. How he found the time away from his duties to lay here and speak meaningless nothings with his wife he had no idea, and the thought quickly left him. "I gave up trying to be 'cool' or 'original' a long time ago. I don't care if it's lame. I'll always love you, Hinata."

"Ah." His wife half-stammered. "M-me too."

Somehow, even from his angle, Naruto could tell that his wife was blushing. The sound of a door opened, and Naruto saw a pair of small feet running horizontally towards them. "Look!" A child's voice cried. "Mommy's picking out daddy's brains!"

"Mommy! Stop!" Another voice fretted loudly.

"Ah! Boruto! Himawari! I'm ok! Don't worry! Daddy has a lot of extra spare brains!" Naruto chuckled as the children made gagging sounds. "Hinata, what's taking so long? You aren't _actually_ picking my brains are you?"

"Well, it depends." his wife answered thoughtfully. "Do you really promise to always come back?"

"Huh?"

* * *

Naruto sat up. "What do you mean?" He said as the contours of his apartment room came into focus. His eyes flicked through his surroundings in confusion. He'd just had a dream, a really nice dream, and, even as he thought on the fact that he'd been dreaming, the exact contents of the dream were already fading. Oddly, his mind noted an absence of children, causing him to _almost_ remember. Naruto sat perfectly still for several moments as he desperately tried to recall his dream. He didn't know why, but he really wanted to remember. Why couldn't he remember? What had the dream been about and why did he need to remember it so badly?

Outside, the rustling sound of leaves and no other sound disturbed the bright morning environment as Naruto sat and thought. Children. Something about children and brains. Zombies? No, not zombies. Zombies weren't pleasant at all, and his dream had been _very_ pleasant so it couldn't be zombies. Brains. Children. A soft pillow. Brains…

Naruto thought hard and then finally, after what felt like an eternity of minutes, he gave up. Naruto tossed his covers away and slapped a hand on the cheap mattress of his bed in frustration. It was just a dream anyway. There was no reason for him to get upset over something so trivial.

He buried his face in his palms and issued a yawn. _Good morning, Kurama, how're you feeling?_

There was a silence as Naruto waited. The moment of silence stretched, and Naruto, knowing that he wasn't going to receive a response, silently stood and started to prepare breakfast. Seeing his parents again had been quite a surprise. He'd forgotten that their Chakra had been put into his child's body.

The Fourth had programmed a trigger to cause him to manifest briefly in his son's seal as a failsafe against the removal of the seal which held the Nine-tails. He'd also placed a trigger with his wife's Chakra to trigger her manifestation when Naruto first endeavoured to take the Nine-tail's power. The two weren't mutually exclusive. Under ideal conditions, Namikaze Minato would have appeared at the same time that his wife did. Unfortunately, Naruto had lost control of himself the first time around triggering the Fourth's failsafe almost an entire year before he'd made his first serious attempt at assimilating the Nine-tail's power which meant that he had met his mother almost an entire year after he'd first met his father.

He had to admit, his parents made for a really cute couple. He still couldn't understand why Kurama had despised their relationship so much; they were just so adorable.

Again, Kurama offered no opinion. Now that he didn't have a cage, he was free to roam an infinite distance within Naruto's mindscape. He hoped the Fox got over his issues soon. Naruto really missed having his friend's constant companionship and snarky quips.

A mental harumph sounded in his mindscape as he ate his mixture of heated milk and oatmeal. Naruto swallowed and put his spoon back into the bowl with a satisfied sigh. Truly, Kurama was the most tsundere of Tailed Beasts, to borrow the term for one of Jiraiya's favorite character tropes.

Naruto could imagine the plot already. The story would be about a boy with a Nine-tailed demon goddess sealed inside him. The Demon Goddess would slowly warm to and then develop affections for her jailer through a multitude of character-developing conflicts, and, eventually, after watching him for so long, the Demon Goddess would declare her love, and, knowing Jiraiya, the two lovers-

 _ **BRAT!**_ A voice roared. _**STOP! STOP THINKING OR I WILL DEVOUR YOU!**_

Naruto silently took another spoonful of oatmeal and shoveled it into his mouth. His mind became a zen of meditative emptiness as he chewed then swallowed his soggy breakfast. Really, it was too bad that his tenant wasn't really some kind of attractive Sex Goddess.

The subsequent roaring sent his head ringing and Naruto took another bite of oatmeal. Then, laying the side of his head on his kitchen/living-room table, Naruto chewed.

 _ **Your promise to reunite me with my other half is the only reason I'm letting you live. Until then, I'll be watching your thoughts and your actions closely. If I don't like what I see, I will tear you apart.**_

Naruto munched on his oatmeals thoughtfully, but thought no thoughts; his mind was once again a clean slate.

…

Meal finished, Naruto doffed the pot he'd been eating out of into the sink, turned on the sink water, and subconsciously began to hum a tune as he washed the pot and spoon.

He'd need to update himself on the happenings of this time, to know current events, what was happening, who was doing what and where, etc. etc. For that, he'd probably be spending most of the day reading through files and going through various documents.

Really, Sasuke should've been the one doing the research. He was the one with the Sharingan and could memorize and scan through information quickly. Naruto gave a long-suffering sigh. At least the sheer quantity of shadow clones he could produce would allow him to process more information at once, even if it was at a slower pace. Ultimately, it came down to throughput, which was the quantity of info being scanned at any given time, versus latency, which was the speed at which any given chunk of data could be processed. Sasuke's strength lay in the latter while Naruto's was in the former. Depending on how much data needed to be processed, Naruto could file through information at an exponentially higher rate than Sasuke could, albeit with the risk of a few hours of major headaches.

Naruto started humming again, realizing that he'd stopped some time during the course of his thoughts. He didn't exactly remember where he'd heard the tune before; it was sad and had a pretty melody to it, but it didn't fit his cheery mood. Really, the forgotten dream aside, the particular morning was making him feel oddly chirpy, like a morning bird or something.

To be a kid again and to be given the chance at doing over all his mistakes and more was, he had to admit, a really nice feeling.

Hanging his newly washed dishware to dry, Naruto quickly got dressed in his decidedly orange gear before climbing out the window and racing across the rooftops at a decent speed. In the late morning sunlight, he soaked in the sight of the old village and felt another sharp pang of nostalgia in his heart. The village hadn't looked like this since he'd been a child and had undergone many changes since Nagato had reduced it to rubble.

Reaching the Hokage tower, he saluted the desk-manager. "Yo."

The man scowled, but allowed him entry. The old man was waiting for him. Making his way up the stairs, Naruto stopped to stand outside the Hokage's office and wait to be called inside. Waiting ahead of him was Genin-team Three.

The team's Jonin leader immediately sensed his presence and turned around. Still wearing the same green spandex and shiny bowl-cut, Maito Gai gave him a friendly smile, a nod and a thumbs up at the same time. "Hello! A most beauteous morning isn't it!"

Suddenly, four pairs of eyes were on him. Naruto grinned. "Yeah, it's kind of chilly but not _too_ chilly, the perfect weather for a run."

"It surely is!" Replied one of the three Genin. A second set of green spandex and shiny bowl-cut hair stepped forwards and extended a hand. "Ah the wind blowing against my heated body as I run through the crisp morning air is a most wonderful feeling! Wouldn't you agree?"

"Of course!" Naruto agreed. "Morning is a time of exercise and training!"

"And youth!" Lee echoed agreeably. "UUoooOOOH!"

Naruto snickered internally at Tenten's defeated look and shook Lee's hand. "I'm thinking of joining you starting tomorrow. You start running at seven in the morning at Training Ground Ten, right?"

"That is correct!" The spandex-boy yelled excitedly. "Allow me to introduce myself! I am Rock Lee! And you are Uzumaki Naruto, correct?" Naruto nodded and Rock Lee beamed. "I've heard much about you! I'm sure Gai-sensei would be most honored to have you participate in our daily ritual, provided that we aren't doing a mission of course! Right, Gai-sensei?"

"Mmm. To see the young so interested in joining us, it makes me feel _just_ as young!" Gai-sensei answered nonsensically and then schooled his expression to thoughtfulness. "Although… I _am_ curious as to the situation with Team 7. My super _cool_ rival hasn't given much by way of explanation, but one of your members, Haruno Sakura, was running with us this morning. It confuses me greatly. If Kakashi failed another team, as the situation seems to imply, why is he training the girl? Would you care to explain?"

"I uh…" Naruto grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Really can't say. Sorry."

"So you don't know, or... Hm. I see." Gai nodded understandingly. "A Shinobi often must carry secrets. It does make me wonder, not that I am asking for an answer, merely posing a thought - why the Haruno girl and not the Uchiha? It would seem more fitting for my rival to train the Uchiha… hmm."

As Gai trailed off, Neji took his place, opening his mouth to speak. "What were you doing at the Hyuuga Comp-"

"Team Three!" Announced the voice of one Umino Iruka from inside the Hokage's office. "You may enter!"

"Well, my youthful team! It is our turn!" Gai declared. "Let us see what missions might be available to us!"

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" Lee returned almost fanatically as he and Tenten trailed after their Jonin leader through the office door.

Neji frowned giving Naruto one last look before following his teammates.

Alone again, Naruto thought on the drafts that he'd found among Jiraiya's possessions not long after the man's death. _You know, despite it only being a draft, those first few chapters were actually pretty well written._

Kurama gave the mental equivalent of an eye-roll and decided to ignore his temporary partner

* * *

 **Hinata**

* * *

They'd managed to complete their first mission in record time. The cat of the wealthy Daimyo's wife had escaped, and the mission to capture it had been handed to Team Eight. Kiba and Akamaru were the first to track down the cat's general location in the village. Hinata had then used her Byakugan to swamp the entire area into her vision. She'd sifted through the many, thousands of items within her sensory range with methodical precision born from years of practice, finding the cat hiding inside a dirty dumpster. Then, keeping Kiba and Akamaru _far_ away to prevent scaring the cat, Shino's bugs had quietly flown toward the dumpster, latching on to the cat and draining it of its Chakra.

By the time they reached the dumpster, Tora had been unwilling but too tired to fight back as they picked her up, like a patient in a hospital combatting anesthesia.

The cat's pitiable state didn't stop the Daimyo's wife from pushing it against her fat cheeks and suffocating it. Even Akamaru, who didn't really like cats, had whined in sympathy, causing Kiba to automatically start stroking him and promising that he'd never do anything like that. Taking their first mission pay had been exciting. Kurenai-sensei had taken them to an official-looking building where they were advised to store their newly earned funds, making Kiba pout unhappily as both Hinata and Shino quietly verified their identities to the clerk who'd promptly helped them set up accounts and taken their money.

While his teammates spoke with the clerk, Kiba had been cynical. "How do we know they aren't just gonna take our money and never give it back?"

"The financial storage center is backed by and enforced by Shinobi, meaning us." Their Jonin-leader smiled patiently. "If you feel unsafe, you can file a charge which will be thoroughly checked and reviewed by the Hokage himself."

"How can we trust the Hokage?"

" _Kiba._ " Kurenai-sensei intoned sharply.

"I'm just sayin' geez. What's the difference between keeping my money at home and putting it here?"

"Well. You get a convenient little card which you can use, along with your valid identification, to make payments in any official store in the village that is registered with the financial center - which, by the way, is all of them. You won't have to carry your money around, isn't that convenient? It'll also help you be more conscious of saving funds for the future. I personally find it nice that I can see my finances pooled together into one number."

It was at this point that Hinata had finished setting up her account and came meandering out. "Um. Sensei, isn't that unsafe keeping all of your money in one place?"

"I can see why you think that," Kurenai replied. "but short of the village being destroyed, my money is safe. I trust the village of course. I trust every one of you to be able to help to keep us safe and at peace, just as you should trust me. You are my allies, and I am yours. Any more questions before Kiba sets up his account?"

"Hey!" Kiba griped. "I haven't agreed to anything yet!"

"You have no choice in this matter."

Kiba hmphed and began moving towards the amused-looking bank-teller, giving the man his best glare as the teller politely led him through the process.

"Congratulations on your first mission, by the way. This time, you were lucky to be given a mission tailored to your strengths as a tracking team. You won't always get missions this easy, but for now, I'm very proud of you. After lunch, we'll be working some test scenarios and on your teamwork all the way until 4, so rest while you can."

"Yes, sensei." Both Hinata and Shino said at the same time.

"Good. Now when Kiba is done arguing and making idle threats, we'll leave."

Kiba looked back unhappily, his sensitive ears picking up every word. "I'm just making sure he won't do anything you know? Haven't you ever heard of security?"

Kurenai rolled her eyes. "Just don't take too long. Your teammates are waiting for you."

As they spoke, Hinata activated her Byakugan again, stretching her vision several hundred meters out towards the center of the village. Was Naruto still in the Hokage's tower? She'd seen him walk in alone. Why wasn't he with his team? And why had Haruno Sakura, who was _supposed_ to be the lucky girl who got put into Naruto's team, been running with Neji's team?

"I have a question for you." Shino suddenly said in his rarely heard voice. "Why? Because exchanging information will help to strengthen our bond to make for better teamwork."

Hinata defocused her Byakugan and nodded. "Yes?"

"Who are you spying at?"

"Um!" Hinata blushed, feeling as if she were being caught committing some crime. "I.. um! No-one-in-partic- I mean- um!"

"I do not require a response. If it is a private matter, I will inquire no further." Shino offered.

"Ah..." Hinata said with a mixture of relief and guilt. "I'm sorry."

It was at this point that Kiba had finished his lengthy negotiation with the bank teller and come bounding toward them. "Hinata was spying on someone?"

"O-or-wwaa-" Hinata spluttered, unable to correctly form her words and making her situation worse.

"It's time for us to go. Come on. No more chatter." said Kurenai. Hinata felt a sudden urge to hug her teacher.

"But this is important!" Kiba complained

"I'm sure Hinata would tell us if she really needed to." Kurenai interrupted. "No need to press her."

"But like, can't she like, see through our clothes with her eyes?" Kiba persisted.

At the comment, Hinata felt her entire face heat up. That wasn't how the Byakugan worked, and being branded a peeper was worse than being a called a stalker. "Um.. umm. Guhh.." She choked out in explanation.

"See? I knew it!" Kiba yelled (Akamaru barked in tandem.) "What if-?"

" _Kiba._ " Kurenai said sharply, her red eyes glowing with an unnatural light. " _Drop it_."

Feeling the threat in the air, Kiba finally shut his mouth. After a moment of silence, the light in their Jonin-leader's eyes dimmed. "Hinata. You aren't doing anything wrong. You shouldn't have to feel bad about anything the boys say to you. If they drive you, don't be afraid to bite back."

Hinata ducked her head. "Hai."

* * *

The closing light of the setting Sun found a girl standing behind a lamppost, staring up into the shadows of an apartment building. Her focus, however, wasn't on the building, but on the boy inside one of its many rooms of residence. The boy had been sitting perfectly still for almost twenty minutes now. If she paid careful attention with her Byakugan, Hinata could see traces of natural Chakra being collected into the boy's body. She didn't know something like that was possible. Since when did Naruto learn how to do that?

She stared at him, tracing the angle of his face, his cheeks, and the mold of his eyes and ears. Hinata smiled a subconscious smile. She loved watching him. He worked so hard, there was no way he wasn't going to become Hokage.

"Yo!" A voice loudly declared from behind her. _When-?!_

Hinata gasped and did a double take, running forward into the streets before losing her balance to her severely weakened knees.

"Whoa, Hinata-chan! Careful!"

Hinata hyperventilated, and the voice became worried.

"Hinata-chan! You're all red, it's ok. I won't hurt you. Just breath. don't faint now! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

Hinata swayed in place, and her vision swam. The boy before her blurred and unblurred. Above, she could still see _him_ sitting inside his apartment room, gathering natural Chakra. There were _two_ of them, she realized. Of course, Shadow Clones was how he'd pranked the Hyuuga compound. Hinata recalled a memory of her hero mentioning that he hadn't been allowed to use Shadow Clones. That had been during his visit the day before. She'd been too flustered at the time.

"Hinata-chan? Are you ok?"

The girl gave the boy one look and immediately bowed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! I just, I wanted to, I-... I'm sorry!"

Naruto tilted his head. "What are you apologizing for?"

"Huh?" He didn't know? "I, um, I mean-!" Hinata's cheeks burned with shame at her reticence. Normal people didn't stutter like this; it was worse that her hero had to see her in such a despicable state. Hinata felt tears sting at her eyes as she bowed again. "Good day!"

And then she ran, hoping to get as far away as possible. Her hand caught on something, and Hinata tugged desperately, trying to dislodge it.

"Hinata-chan, wait."

Hinata looked behind her, realized what had caught her hand, and stopped. "Ah.. a-ah! Wha-? N-naruto-kun, I, I didn't mean to-"

"You don't have to say anything. I understand. I just, um, noticed you standing out here and you looked lonely. Are you… waiting for someone?"

Hinata shook her head honestly, a movement which Naruto ignored.

"Well! Whoever you're waiting for must be a jerk for making you stand here for so long, geez. People really need to learn to keep their appointments."

"It's nothing like that!" Hinata replied, thinking of Ko.

"Huh, really?" Naruto scratched his cheek as Hinata nodded vehemently.

"Yes. I-if you will excuse me, I have to go." Hinata bowed, proud that she'd managed an entire sentence, to her hero no less, without stuttering. Somehow, the situation had been defused, and Hinata was glad, even if she was only using her respite to run away.

"Wait, Hinata-chan, I have something to ask you!"

"Ah!" Hinata straightened, but her eyes remained on the floor as she began to once again feel uncomfortable.

"Do you…" The boy paused, his voice becoming yearnful and almost shy-sounding. "Do you want to be my friend?"

Hinata drew a sharp intake of breath and looked up. Naruto-kun smiled, and her heart sang suddenly with a strangely pleasant, fluttery feeling. "F-friend?"

"I mean, I don't have a lot of friends yet and, well, to be honest, I noticed you following me around recently and-" Hinata blanched. "-no it's ok! Really! I, I'm flattered actually. I know you don't have many friends too because you don't talk to people very much and I thought maybe you wanted to be my friend."

Peering into the pair of pleading blue eyes, Hinata considered the strange request. Of course, Naruto didn't have any friends. The taboo he had on his name and reputation made sure of that. Parents warned their children to stay away from him, inadvertently turning him into a pariah among his peers. Even Hinata, with her own reticence, could tell that Naruto's social growth was severely stunted. A friend… it had a nice ring to it. "I don't know."

"I'll try to be a good friend! Like, talk about things like, um, what do kids talk about these days?"

Hinata felt her heart plummet painfully. Things were finally getting better at home. Her father cared about her, and was finally showing it. He'd also told her to stay away from Uzumaki Naruto. She was sure that being seen traipsing about the village with the village pariah would only do harm to her family's name and by extension, her father. Would things go back to the way they were if she accepted Naruto's friend request? She didn't want that, not when Neji was finally receiving the attention he deserved, not when Father's eyes had finally, after all these years, softened, even if a little bit.

Heedless to her thoughts, Naruto was rambling on about things that friends could do together, like talking and being nice to each other and holding hands. Hinata gulped. She would never have a chance like this again. Not ever.

"Naruto-kun."

Naruto stopped rambling and gave a hopeful, "Yes?"

"L-let's be-" Hinata pushed her forefingers together shyly. "Let's be friends."

Naruto stared at her as if disbelieving. Maybe she'd accepted too easily? Hinata worried. And then Naruto laughed, a happy, radiant laughter. "I'm so happy! Hinata, I'll be the best friend you'll ever have! I promise! We can go to Ichiraku's together and eat Ramen, and I'll introduce you to Ayame-nee and old-man Teuchi! Oh, and there are some other people I want to introduce you to! I can't wait!"

Hinata's heart thrummed like the music of a thousand instruments playing in perfect synchrony. Naruto always kept his promises, and that he was promising now… for _her_... She began to feel tears stinging at her eyes once more, "Naruto…"

"Ah." Naruto suddenly froze, seeming to remember something. "I have somewhere I have to go right now, but I'll see you again here tomorrow?"

Hinata nodded. "Of course." She mumbled.

Naruto waved happily. "See you tomorrow!"

Hinata offered her own tentative smile and wave. "Bye."

And then he was bounding off. She stared after him for a moment, standing perfectly still in the late afternoon sunlight.

Hyuuga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto. _Friends!_ Hinata pushed her fingers together; she'd never thought it would be possible. Not in a million lifetimes.

It was the best feeling in the world.

* * *

Author's Note: Life is Strange is heart-wrenching. I'm almost an entire year late, but I don't care. It was a beutiful game/movie with awesome, feelsy soundtrack and songs, and it was worth every moment.. almost. (Finding those bottles in the junkyard was complete B.S., and a nifty excuse to force me to explore the place. .-. I feel very manipulated.) And Chloe is actually a really mean person, even though she's been through a lot. I didn't like her at all, but Max seemed head over heels. Ugh. Stupid Max. She'll only abuse you! Of all the characters, I think Max is the one I pitied most. Poor Max. :(

(Bay over Bae 2016)


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Rawr.**

* * *

Sometimes, first meetings were hard to forget. The first time he'd met his first and only apprentice had been the day immediately after his team had passed Kakashi's terribly memorable graduation test. He even remembered the exact circumstances of that meeting. The little cape-toting boy had ran into his grandfather's office with a cocksure and defiant attitude, demanding a challenge with childish naivety. Naruto didn't exactly remember how the old man had responded to his grandson's outburst, but he did remember very clearly what _he_ had done upon seeing the little eight year old tyke acting like he could just barge in and act like he was more than an equal to the Third Hokage.

It made him wonder whether or not he should do the same thing this time around. The thought made him feel almost manipulative, like he were choreographing all his interactions to control what others thought of him. Of course, he had the best of intentions. He didn't have ulterior, nefarious motives. Telling Kakashi and Sakura that they'd come from the future had been like a release. Naruto realized that he preferred interacting with people who knew his true identity.

It made him feel less like a liar.

"Hey!" The voice of a small child demanded loudly. "Be my master!"

Naruto studiously ignored the child and picked up another status report. Strangely enough, information on the village of the Hidden Rain was incredibly limited. It had its own internal economy and had no relations whatsoever with any of the other villages, a true system of isolationism and autarky. The few Shinobi sent for reconnaissance into the Hidden Rain came back even fewer in number. The message was clear: Leave the Hidden Rain alone.

"Hey!" The child's voice begged. "Please!"

Naruto sighed. Of all the clones that Konohamaru could have been bothering, it had to be him. It wasn't as if clones shared memory dynamically. Any memory or experiences that he, as a clone, made after his creation were his and his only until he was dispelled. Then, the memories returned to the main body, the original Naruto. Thus, even if other clones were to dispel while he existed, he wouldn't receive their memories.

"Hey!"

One of the clones, or even the real Naruto himself, must have gone and said something inspiring to the little eight year old child that was pestering him. _He_ certainly didn't remember impressing himself upon the kid.

"Come onnnn! Naruto nii-chan.. Pleaaaaaasssee!" The kid begged.

Naruto set down the report in his hand. He was having trouble reconciling the image of the serious, twenty-nine year old Jonin that Konohamaru had become to the adorable child before him. "Why do you want me to teach you?"

"Because you _actually_ knocked out the old man." Konohamaru said excitedly. "I mean, he's the _Hokage_! You _have_ to teach me that Jutsu!"

Ah. The Sexy Jutsu. It'd been years since he'd performed that jutsu in public. It seemed one of the other Naruto's had gone and decided to do what they'd done the first time around. Naruto looked out the window. The Sun would be setting in a couple hours. Well, it wasn't as if the little bit of information he could gather in that time would be that significant anyway. He was only just another clone after all.

"Hmm." Naruto hummed. "I don't think you have what it takes."

"What? I swear I'll do my best to learn to do it, please please please! Teach me!"

Naruto gave Konohamaru an appraising look and sighed theatrically. "Alright."

"Really?" The kid asked excitedly as Naruto shelved several archived documents.

"Really. Help me put these documents away, then we can start training. Make sure they're sorted in the correct order. There's a number on each scroll that should help you do that." Naruto gestured toward a bundle. "Here you go."

"Oh.." The excited energy fell and the kid suddenly lost his enthusiasm. "You're gonna teach me if I sort these scrolls right?"

"Yep."

Konohamaru frowned childishly. "Fine. Ugh." The boy picked up a scroll. "I hate doing boring stuff. Once I learn that jutsu, I'm going to knock out the old man and become Hokage!"

Naruto turned back to his scrolls, hiding a smile as he did so. If Konohamaru were to see his eight year old self, Naruto was sure the man would have died of shame.

* * *

Naruto's senses became suddenly enhanced as one of his clones that had been gathering Nature Chakra dispelled along with several other clones. One by one, memories began filling his head.

 _Shit_.

It was time for him to go. He'd been sitting in the Hokage's office the entire day, stopping for only the shortest of breaks. It was almost like he were back in his own time again. There was no job as stressful or as time-consuming as the position of Hokage, at least not with the burden he'd placed on himself. He'd often end up staying at his office overnight. It had been both taxing and extremely rewarding. Seeing the village develop and grow beyond his wildest imagination had been a mark of progress that had always, unfailingly raised his personal morale whenever he was feeling tired or drowned by his workload. The future hadn't been a perfect utopia - there were still the occasional crimes and related such incidents, but the state of half-war between the many Ninja-villages had all but vanished. In its place was a system of international cooperation and harmony. The destructive segregation by political affiliations that had plagued the different Shinobi factions had been transformed into a single, unifying humanist ideology.

Politics, nationalism and borders disintegrated into mere formalities at best; the Shinobi Alliance's main priority was humanity, not petty lines on a map.

"Hey old man."

"Hm?" The Hokage hummed. The clear, smoke-free Kage's office provided an unobstructed view of his cloaked figure as he settled his papers. "What is it Naruto? Are you leaving?"

"Yeah. There's something going on. Thanks again for helping me gain access to all these documents."

"It was the least I could do." Hiruzen replied, noting the orange pigments and horizontal pupils on and around the boy's eyes. "You've truly grown, Naruto. I'm very glad you decided to confide your secret to me. Truly, if only I could lay eyes on your future for even just a moment, I would die happy."

"I'm sure you would." Naruto sighed. "If you quit smoking, that wish could easily become reality, old man. I really want you to see it too, that world."

"Perhaps I will, Naruto." The old Kage chuckled. "Perhaps I will."

Naruto nodded. "Well then. I'm off." The boy strolled out the door, not even bothering to shut it behind him. If there was one word Hiruzen could use to describe this Naruto, it would be a tossup between ' _busy_ ' and ' _diligent_ '. Indeed, to watch this once boisterous, irritable child sit for nearly 8 hours straight filing through document after document was downright inspiring. Knowing that there were nearly a hundred clones doing exactly the same pushed the old man beyond pride. There would probably never be another Hokage who could match the son of the Fourth.

Hiruzen picked at his pipe, rolling it around on the surface of his desk as he began to feel a familiar sensation of shame. Everything he should have done for his people and the people of the world, all his failings, had been taken up by the future Seventh Hokage. Hiruzen had resigned his people to the fate of the Shinobi System; Naruto had fought it with an indomitable will.

It was a reminder of how old he was, how much a relic of the past he had become, entrenched forever in its supposedly unsolvable conundrums.

He rolled his pipe around a few more times before picking it up. A burst of flames consumed the object, searing it instantly into ashes which wafted out over the veranda by a breeze of wind. If Naruto wanted to show him the future, then the least he could do was live to see it.

* * *

 **Nighttime**

* * *

Usually the movement of ROOT didn't worry him. He'd sensed them coming and going ever since he'd started surveilling the village via several dozen well-placed clones combined with the powerful sensory abilities of Sage mode. ROOT and ANBU were an everyday part of life in the village, integral factions whose activities had been all but kept an unspoken secret until the formation of the Shinobi Alliance. The dissipation of either organization had yet to occur, and to see them swarming the village from behind the shadows again was a lingering reminder of the many conflicts that still existed in this era. The future had been many things, crowded, industrialized, clean, partially deforested, but at the very least, it had been peaceful. Nothing like what it was before the Fourth Shinobi War.

There were two places of ROOT operation which alarmed him. One was the cluster surrounding the Uchiha compound with more arriving by the minute. If Sasuke had been his thirteen-year old self, Naruto would have been worried. With Sasuke also being twenty years from the future, it was the safety of the ROOT operatives that worried Naruto more than that of his friend. Sasuke would be fine. Naruto was confident that the bastard could handle himself. A single clone in that area would be enough.

It was the other, smaller cluster of ANBU presence that troubled him. It was too bad that he'd promised to show Kurama his own strength before he used any of the Bijuu-chakra. Out of respect for his companion, Naruto had decided to comply to the relatively reasonable request.

And now… Naruto's fists tightened as he zipped across the village rooftops. Even if Sage mode did not provide him with nearly as much combat and sensory abilities as Kurama's Chakra cloak, it still made him the second fastest Shinobi in the village at that very moment.

Sasuke could wait. Sakura, on the other hand, could not.

Briefly, Naruto felt the memories of one more clone return to his head, and all his thoughts on his friends were temporarily pushed aside. One of his clones had initiated a friendship with Hinata. Naruto grinned. That would certainly make things easier. It was probably for the best. A relationship at this point would've been strange. For now, he would settle with being her friend until she reached a reasonable age.

Naruto shelved the thought away. He had a friend to save.

* * *

 **Haruno Residence**

* * *

"Ahh. That was pretty good. I think you outdid your mother today, and that's saying alot." Kizashi patted his belly and laid back. "Can you do the dishes, honey? Daddy's feeling a bit tired tonight."

Wordlessly, Sakura reached across the table to stack her dad's bowl and utensils with her own. Then, she stood walking towards the kitchen and plopping her load into the sink.

"Thanks honey!" She heard her dad call from where he was still sitting.

Sakura rolled up her sleeves and walked back into the dining room to pick up the remaining plates. "Dad. You lazy-butt."

"Correction!" Kizashi grinned. "I'm the lazy-butt who feeds you."

 _Cha!_ Inner Sakura fumed. Sakura smiled. "Yes, _father_."

"Ah you know what?" Seeming to suddenly draw energy from somewhere, Kizashi stood. "I'll do the rinsing, you'll do the sudsing. How's that sound?"

"You're too kind, dad."

"I wouldn't be much of a dad if I just dumped everything on you and your mother now would I?" Kizashi laughed as he trailed behind his daughter toward the kitchen. "I love you both very much you know?"

Sakura piled her items into the sink and turned on the faucet. "I know." She replied. "It's ok if you go rest dad. Today looks like one of your lazy days, I'll take care of it."

The sound of the running water was her only reply. Sakura picked up the soap. "Dad?"

She turned. The hand holding the plate tightened. Her dad lay crumpled on the floor, as if asleep. Standing over and above him were two masked figures. A rat and a moose. The rat stepped forward and spoke in a high voice. "You're coming with us, Haruno Sakura."

 _A girl_. Sakura realized, maybe even as young as she was. Clearly they were hostile.. and armed. The tanto swords hanging on their backs made them _dangerous_. "I suggest you don't resist, or else-"

The rat ducked as a plate wheeled over where her head had been. The moose stood silently as he watched the pink-haired girl race out the kitchen. "A fighter." He noted.

Behind the mask, the rat rolled her eyes. "They all are."

In the middle of the hallway, Sakura's feet suddenly stopped obeying her. A faint aura of Killing Intent assaulted her senses, causing her to struggle more. It wasn't only her feet. Her arms, legs and her entire body too had been rendered immobile. Why couldn't she _move_?!

Sakura glared down at her feet to see a dark pool of shadows binding her. Shadow possession. One of those masked children was a Nara.

"Help!" Sakura cried aloud, her girl's voice raising to an almost glass-breaking pitch.

"We've sealed off your apartment." Rat's voice moved in from behind her, becoming close as it spoke. "No sound will escape here, and you won't escape us. Screaming won't help you, Haruno Sakura. If you don't come quietly, we _will_ kill your father."

Sakura let her beating heart calm. In situations like these, the best she could do was obtain as much information as she could. That cold, logical part of her mind was battered down by a desperate need to save her father. Sakura ignored the instinct to cry and swallowed. "Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?"

The Shadows released her and Sakura was freed. Rat opened the front door of the apartment. "Your questions may be answered later. Right now, you are coming with us. Moose, bind her lips."

Sakura felt a sudden presence at her shoulders and looked back to see Moose standing behind her. She lurched forward a step before freezing in place once more.

"Just like that." Rat said encouragingly. "You're doing good." Rat reached into a pocket and took out a Kitten mask. "Now, hold still as I put this on you. Perfect. Now, let's go."

Sakura walked out the doors. Her legs moved on their own. She grimaced, fighting whatever it is that was binding her to no avail. She tried to scream, but neither her throat nor her eyes were her own. Her entire body had been snared by the Nara clan's Shadow Possession technique. Moose chuckled, and Sakura involuntarily did the same. To all the world, it looked as if she were one of them and was following along willingly.

* * *

Danzo laughed. As the sword approached the area between his legs, he laughed like he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. It was a sound one did not expect to hear from a man of his age and stature.

The Uchiha's clone stopped and pulled his blade back. "He's gone insane." The clone noted.

Sasuke leapt off his stool and shoved a hand over the old man's shaved cheeks, pushing it into the clean mats of his home. "I hope you don't mind telling me what you find so funny, Danzo."

Danzo choked. Even laughing hurt him, but he continued laughing anyway. Good. He had the Uchiha's attention. He hadn't had wanted to pull this trump card, hadn't planned to in fact until at least one or two more days, but the choice had been taken out of his hands. "There is, in fact, a very good reason for you to _not_ kill me."

"Oh?" The boy voiced as he bore a threatening grin. "Let's hear it."

Danzo's laughing face melted. "Haruno Sakura."

It was as if the world had frozen, and Danzo smiled, his face hurting so much. But he'd won. With just two words, he'd secured his survival.

The boy, to his credit, did not react in any overt way, but the aura he exuded underwent a tangible change. Danzo felt a shiver crawl down his spine.

"What about her?" The boy asked with feigned disinterest.

"If you kill me, you will never see her alive again."

A sword dug into his thighs, and Danzo gave an involuntary scream of pain. "Danzo…" Sasuke knelt and wrapped his fingers around the old man's neck. The threat was real. His Sharingan was telling him the truth. "What makes you think she means anything to me?"

"You fool." Danzo smirked victoriously. "Do you really think none would see how close the two of you are in public? You did well during your years in the Academy by keeping yourself isolated from weakness. It seems you've grown soft in adulthood, Uchiha Sasuke, letting yourself become attached like that. Not like a Shinobi at all."

"All I did was help her to become stronger as any Genin teammate would be wont to do when their Jonin mentor isn't there." The boy smirked. "You're wrong, Danzo."

Like a hot knife through butter, Danzo felt something scrape down his back, melting his skin and scarring it. _The clone!_ Danzo thought angrily. The _damned_ clone just wouldn't _stop_.

Danzo coughed, the blood from his torn cheeks splaying onto the Uchiha's clean mat. He hoped that the blood would take a long time to clean out, that the boy would suffer. Where was his ROOT?!

"No. I am not." Danzo said through clenched teeth. "The rumors that you and that pink-haired civilian girl are engaged in a relationship… that is no lie. Since you came from the future, it is clear, in light of your radical change in behavior, that she is your future partner." Danzo's teeth came down hard as another cut was made on his back. "See how childish, how immature you are." He gasped. "Torturing a frail, old man."

Danzo watched with resignation as a fist came down on his head, slamming his face into the floor and making his head ring. Good thing he could still protect himself with basic Chakra-barriers, or the blow would have knocked him unconscious, not that that wouldn't have been preferable at this point. The damned Uchiha fool. How _dare_ he. After all he'd done for the Leaf, how _dare_ this boy do this to him! Where was Hiruzen in all this?

There was a sudden chirp as a small ink bird flew into the room. It disappeared in a burst of dark ink as the katana-wielding clone tore through it.

Too late. Danzo almost cried with relief. That was his subordinate's bird. It was Sai, the ink boy, one of his more talented ROOT operatives. They were finally here. "It seems you were prepared for this contingency." Sasuke noted as the entire kitchen wall behind him was demolished. A massive ink tiger tore into the living room. "I've made my decision. Shimura Danzo. You're going to die."

"Not if you want Haruno Sakura alive." Danzo said aloud. _Not if you die first._

The link he had with all his operatives was showing him a very relieving image. Nearly twenty operatives were outside, cautiously probing and waiting. Now that they knew their leader to be in danger, Danzo was sure they would make a move to rescue him.

The ink tiger roared and charged toward the Uchiha boy. It evaporated instantly upon contact with a mass of superheated electric bolts. The clone, finished with tearing through the ink construct, turned toward Danzo and grinned a cocksure grin. Danzo never hated someone more in his entire life.

* * *

 **ROOT**

* * *

If there was one thing they knew for sure, it was that Uchiha Sasuke would be a dangerous foe. None of them were capable of defeating him in single combat, but there was a strategy for fighting opponents of superior individual skill. It was a strategy most of them knew. The fact that the two who had escorted Danzo into the compound to meet the Uchiha were nowhere to be found spoke volumes as to just what kind of strength their opponent held. More were coming. They would need more help. After watching Sai's ink tiger be demolished with ease, they had an idea of what they were up against.

Projectiles it would be then. As the Uchiha boy leapt out of the hole that had been torn into the building's wall, a combination of flame, wind, lightning, shuriken and kunai spread out to meet him. The boy landed and dodged away.

 _Perfect_.

The ROOT Shinobi quickly followed up with more continuous rounds of assault, making the boy leap further and further away. A cluster of operatives followed him, keeping him at bay. Now to rescue Danzo.

Sai, wearing a nondescript cat-mask, pulled out a scroll and drew another bird and a tiger on the sheets. He made a seal, slapped his palm on the scroll, and whispered under his breath. " _Secret Art: Chouju Gigai._ " The bird and tiger came to life, the tiger several times larger than it had been in drawing. The black bird flitted toward the entrance alongside its ink companion and the operatives waited for Sai, their captain, to give the signal.

The bird flew in and instantly, the figure who'd conjured the ink creatures dropped his left arm. "That was a clone. We'll have to engage in close quarters. Call for backup." He announced. Silently, he signalled for a squad of operatives to try a direct engagement. The operatives obeyed, entering through the hole in the wall one after another.

The sight of his operatives moving into the Uchiha compound was the last thing Sai would see before the village disappeared. The moon, the sky, the surrounding buildings, all of it were suddenly replaced by an endless void of mountainous cubes and darkness stretching on in all directions. An Illusion? The ROOT commander flared his Chakra to no avail. He looked around to see more ROOT operatives appearing next to him, and he bit his lips, drawing a string of blood. An Illusion that couldn't be dispelled via pain? Sai looked around at the growing crowd of ROOT operatives, each experiencing the same phases that he had in realizing their situation and then going through the steps to dispel what they thought to be an Illusionary world.

"Commander Sai." Reported one of the operatives, this one wearing a bear mask. "We-"

"Operative Commander Sai." Another ROOT soldier interrupted in an assertive tone. The bear mask turned and bowed upon hearing the distinctive feminine voice, and Sai did the same. It was Danzo's two initial escorts.

"It seems we've been trapped into an alternate dimension." Danzo's escort continued. "We've travelled several kilometers in multiple directions."

"Is there a way to escape?" The bear mask asked.

"We're not sure, but it appears this plane stretches infinitely in all directions." Answered the other escort, his mask stored at his side and his face a blank, emotionless slate - just how Danzo-sama had trained it to be.

Sai glanced toward the female operative whose mask hung at her waist and whose face was settled in a similar fashion. "What happened?" Sai asked. "What did Uchiha Sasuke do?"

"Danzo-sama was attacked. Danzo-sama's left arm had been removed, and we moved to his side to assist him. Then, we were here."

"Where is here?" Sai voiced as tonelessly as he could. "Do you think this Uchiha Sasuke's doing?"

"We do." The female escort replied.

Nearby, the army of ROOT soldiers that had gathered to save their leader were clustering together toward their commanders. One of them, a child of seven, stood forward. "Operative commanders Sai, Mai, Rei, Kei. Your orders?"

"Sensors!" Kei announced. The fox-masked commander looked around. "Report."

"There are no entry or exit points." Said one sensor-nin who also wore a fox-mask. "The density of environmental Chakra is weak. There is nothing more. This place is larger than my senses can reach in all directions."

The fox-masked commander nodded. "Any more reports?"

* * *

 **ROOT underground facility**

* * *

"Please." Sakura cried as she stared up into the sterile, plated ceiling of the underground facility. "Stop. What do you want?"

"Aww." Rat lamented sarcastically as she watched Moose flay the girl chained to the table. "She had such a pretty face too."

Moose chuckled, moving a hand toward her face, and Sakura screamed. The restraints holding her down chafed at her neck. She didn't know where she was or why this was happening. Nothing could have prepared her for this, to be suddenly whisked away from her life and, for no apparent reason, be forced to suffer. She didn't know how long they would torture her, nor did she know whether or not she would escape alive. Why was this happening to her? _Why?!_

"Do you want him to stop?" Rat asked, pointing to the silent Moose.

" _Yes._ " Sakura begged, and then screamed again as another layer of skin was carefully extracted from her face. " _Please!_ I BEG YOU! I'LL DO ANYTHING!"

"Really?" Rat asked in a smiling voice. Sakura cried piteously. Now Sasuke would never like her. She couldn't even show herself to the public anymore. Her once smooth cheeks were now covered in squares of hardened cakes of blood and lacerations. She would forever be scarred. Why was she still thinking about her appearance? Where was Sasuke? Where was Naruto? Where were the village's protectors? Where was Hatake Kakashi? Where was the Hokage?! Why was this happening?! Sakura sobbed. "I swear. J-just tell me and I'll do it. I'll do anything."

Suddenly, there was a large blast of sound from just outside the room, interrupting the interrogation. Moments later, something sailed through the air and landed smack into the wall next to where Sakura was bound. It was a pale-faced boy with jet-black hair. His distinctly handsome face was marred with bruises against his pale skin, and his hair was matted with blood. The boy was clearly unconscious, and - with the force with which he'd flown into the wall maybe even dead. Sakura, unable to turn her neck, could only wait as Moose and Rat sprung into action.

"Commander Sai.." Moose breathed as he looked upon the body of the boy embedded into the wall, and then turned back to the source of the assault.

"Who are you?!" Rat demanded as she glared down the hole in the facility walls. "Danzo-sama?!"

The sound of falling rubble cleared, and an old voice croaked. "I see you've captured Haruno Sakura. Good job."

Rat glanced briefly at Moose. This wasn't Danzo. Danzo never gave praise. _Ever_. Moose seemed to realize the same as his shadow crawled along the floor toward the imposter. "Thank you, Danzo-sama." Rat bowed.

"I've captured him." Moose reported with a whisper from her side as she straightened from her bow.

Rat smiled from behind her mask. "Unfortunately, Danzo-sama, it looks as if we're going to have to kill you." She said happily. She'd always wanted to say something like that, and there would probably never be another context where she could say it truthfully like this. Rat tittered and then felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. Her entirely body tingled numbly, and the sight of Moose laying in a pool of blood on the floor was the last thing she saw.

* * *

Picking himself out from the wall, Naruto fixed his black hair and glanced at the figure of his friend strapped to the table. A foreign anger seethed in his spirit as the horrible image of Sakura's mutilated, tear-filled face lay before his eyes.

The two operatives turned as one to confront his clone who was disguised as Danzo.

 _Too easy._ Naruto thought. Holding the form of Sai, he leapt lightly over the table on which Sakura was bound.

"Unfortunately, Danzo-sama, it looks as if we're going to have to kill you." said the girl in the rat mask. As the rat girl laughed, the Moose somehow sensed the presence that had landed behind and turned with practiced speed.

 _Too late._

Enhanced with Sage mode, Naruto's fist flew up with near unparalleled strength and speed. Moose's mask shattered along with his skull underneath.

With a quick step, Naruto flashed soundlessly toward the still-laughing ROOT operative and cuffed her in the neck. A crack sounded, signifying the breaking of bone, and the remaining kidnapper fell lifelessly to the floor.

The Danzo-clone vanished in a puff of smoke as did Naruto's transformation.

Feeling no more enemies within the vicinity of his sensory range, Naruto raced to his friend's side. "Sakura-chan!"

The pink-haired girl hitched her breath when she saw his face hovering over her own and then cried. "Naruto. You idiot. You stupid idiot. Why did you take so long? Why did this happen to me?"

Naruto smiled as he broke the restraints holding his friend in place. "You're going to be OK. I'm here with you now. That's all that matters. Come on. We need to get you to the hospital before these start scarring too badly."

"I can't go outside." Sakura whined, covering her face with her freed arms as she sat up. "Not like this."

Naruto sighed and coaxed his friend into a standing position. "That's the last thing you should be worrying about right now." He stopped to pluck the rat mask from the face of the ROOT operative he'd incapacitated. She was just a girl, slightly older than Sakura. Naruto ignored his guilt and put the rat mask onto Sakura's face. The mask should keep the wind and any particles from blowing into her face.

"Hold on a moment." He said to Sakura. "Let me heal them."

"You can heal people?"

Naruto nodded as he knelt and placed his hand over the neck of the boy who had been wearing the Moose mask. _Kurama, I need you to lend me your powers so I can restore their skull and neck. If I don't do anything soon, they'll die._

There was a moment of silence before the voice of the Nine-tails rung in his head. _Why did you deal such heavy blows in the first place? What will you do if I refuse?_

 _I can just take your Chakra anyway. You know what I'm capable of. I'm asking because I respect you as one of my closest friends. If you refuse, then... I'll have no choice._

 _Fine. Take it!_ The Fox roared angrily. Naruto winced as the Nine-tails' Chakra flowed from his hands, restoring the Moose-boy's shattered skull. Naruto moved toward the Rat-girl and did the same for her neck. With the Nine-tails' power in his hands, the blonde looked up at his masked friend and had a thought. Since he still had a lot of Chakra left, it wouldn't hurt.

"Sakura." Naruto said gently. "Hold still." He reached forward and removed the mask. Sakura visibly flinched as he pressed his palm on her face. The lacerations closed over as pieces of flesh returned to their place. "There." Naruto examined the results and frowned. "It's... not healing properly... why?"

"What?" Sakura asked, the feeling of hope Naruto had given her faltering.

"The marks they used to, to do what they did. It must be part of a seal. It's imprinted into your Chakra so I can't-"

"What do you mean?"

"The wound is not completely physical." Naruto explained unhappily. He produced two clones. Each clone took a ROOT operative into its arms. "Let's go to the hospital, see if they can do anything."

"I hate you." Sakura said quietly.

"..." Naruto ignored the comment. "Can you walk?"

Sakura responded by brushing past him toward the hole he'd made into the wall, and Naruto sighed. "I guess you can." He muttered.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Wow. It's been three weeks since I last updated this story. Let's see... something interesting. I've been doing a lot of fencing recently. It's really fun, especially when you're actually fencing and not just watching. I initially fenced sabre, but, after about two weeks of it, I decided on a whim to switch to foil and have been keeping with it since. Hooray for point control! :)

Anyway, see you all next update!


	16. Chapter 16

Spacing:

* * *

There were many uses for the Sharingan: foresight, visual acuity, Illusions, pyrokinesis, mind-control, interdimensional travel.. Users of the Sharingan each possess varying degrees of mind-control capabilities from the manipulation of the smallest of animals to the enslavement of the some of the most powerful creatures in existence - most notable of these were the nine Bijuu. Of course, the influence of such power extended easily to humans. If an Uchiha could control the minds of the most mentally astute beings on the planet, then they could no doubt easily extend that control onto humans.

* * *

 **COMPOUND**

* * *

Danzo stared with deadened eyes at the clone of the Uchiha boy that stood over him smugly. Outside, members of ROOT that had been sent to Danzo's rescue, from sacrificial novices to the most experienced killers, were being shunted into Kamui one after another. A shinobi could train every moment of his life for years and still amount to nothing when faced against something that could put them into another dimension. It was utterly ridiculous.  
Sasuke - the clone - frowned as he thought on the wasted potential of his newfound power. To think that Obito had had such power at his hands. As the original owner of the eye, Obito would have practically had unlimited, perfected usage of its ability. The Eye of God - Kamui. What a fitting name. If Uchiha Obito had had both his original eyes and had used it to its full potential, then he would have been a true god among his peers.

Outside, the silence was almost deafening for the sheer amount of action that was going on. Ninjas were, by nature, silent combatants after all.

The clone stood perfectly still for a moment, considering its actions. What he was doing could be considered wrong by many. He'd stepped over into the realm of sadism fitting of only psychopaths. But Uchiha Sasuke wasn't a psychopath. This was only an exception. Danzo was someone who deserved the worst of the worst. Walking cheerfully toward the kitchen, the clone picked a small bowl from among his silverware and began filling it with water from his sink.

"Uchiha Sasuke! Are you in there!" A loud voice declared from the hole in his kitchen wall. The clone turned its eyes askance. There, standing in the crumbling archway, the silhouette of a muscular, shapely man stood. That form was recognizable anywhere: it was Maito Gai, the village's taijutsu master. So the main forces of the village had noticed the invasion of nearly two-hundred members of ROOT into the Uchiha compound. That wasn't unexpected. However, the fact that the original Sasuke had allowed someone to slip past his Sharingan was something that wouldn't happen in most conditions.

It was probably the bad lighting of the late evening. The Sharingan gave the ability to capture motion better, not see in the dark. Just as the newcomer hadn't been visible to the not-entirely-all-seeing Sharingan, the pitiable mass of flesh that had been Danzo most likely wasn't visible in the dim light.

With a carefully composed look of surprise, the clone purposefully cut off the flow of sink water and turned to the new arrival. "I was attacked." He said calmly. "A man calling himself Shimura Danzo broke in, I declined his offer, and he tried to kill me. I can't say anymore."

"Shimura Danzo?" Gai asked incredulously. "Where is he now?"

"I don't know, but I had help. I was going to alert the village after I'd gotten a drink, but.. what's happening? Isn't Danzo one of the village councillors? Why did he have a bunch of masked ninja attack me?"

"Masked ninja? Hmm." Gai hummed thoughtfully. "I am appalled. There are some things that I cannot divulge to you right now, however-"

"Should I report this?" The clone asked with a tinge of concern in his voice.

Gai nodded. "You'd better come with me… I'll keep you-" Upon noticing the Uchiha's frantic gaze, Gai turned on see a figure wearing a nondescript ANBU-esque mask over his face and a cloak with a hood which covered the rest of his head. The only noteworthy feature that Gai could discern from the figure were the distinct and unusual glow of the Sharingan shining from a hole in the left side of the mask.

"It's him.." the Uchiha boy whispered from inside the building.

On the outside, Gai squinted his eyes down at the figure a short distance before him. "An Uchiha?... Who are you? What have you done to all the soldiers that came here this evening?"  
A shout of fear rang from behind, and Gai turned back just in time to see the Last Uchiha disappear.

Then, by reflex, Gai leapt forward and avoided a visible swirl of air. "What have to done to Uchiha Sasuke?" He demanded as he flipped to a safe distance.

"I'm taking him with me." The cloaked figure replied in a raspy voice.

"Then you are an enemy." Gai suggested, stalling. "What is it you're trying to accomplish?"

The cloaked figure tilted its head and then vanished in place, leaving Gai standing alone. Uchiha Sasuke, the last Uchiha and one of the village's most promising Genin had just been kidnapped from right under his nose. "WHAT?!" Gai shouted to himself. He ran into the Uchiha compound. There was no one there. No sign of the hundreds of ROOT soldiers that had been seen coming here, nor of the Last Uchiha himself. The only distinct marks that he noticed were the hole in the kitchen wall and a splatter of blood in the nearby living room.

Gai felt his guts sink as he made his way out of the compound to sound the alarm. "We're in trouble."

A few masked Shinobi flitted toward him in the direction of the Uchiha compound. Gai recognized them instantly.  
The one with the ANBU mask dropped onto a nearby roof tile, and the other, the one wearing a mask and a head of gravity-defying hair, stopped on the top of one of the streetlamps right outside the compound gates. Kakashi, Gai's rival, spoke first. "Did you find anything?"

"I did." Gai nodded affirmatively. "Our resident Uchiha has either been kidnapped or killed."

"Killed?" Kakashi voiced skeptically. How? There had to be something else going on. Uchiha Sasuke was quite literally the most powerful of all living beings in the Hidden Leaf at the very moment. There was simply no way.

Gai momentarily considered his rival's shocked expression. "I'm off to report this. You should join me."

"Wait," said Kakashi. "Tell me exactly what happened."

"No time. Let's go." Was Maito Gai's prompt reply before the man, clearly itching to leave, ran toward the village center. Kakashi nodded numbly as he put a hand briefly over his masked left eye. The kid couldn't possibly have been abducted. Even if he was, Sasuke had Obito's eye and had even shown what he was capable of doing with it. Combined with his current abilities, he should have been able to prevent such situations. Something was going on...

Kakashi furrowed his brows. There was no use to conjecturing. It was better if he followed Gai to listen to what his friend and self-proclaimed rival had to say in his report.

* * *

 **Outer Regions - Uchiha Compound**

* * *

As he took out the last members of ROOT, even those who had been trying to hide, Sasuke caught sight of one particular invader who was running too fast to be caught with the Kamui. The invader raced into the compound toward the area where Sai's ink constructs had first caused the walls of the Uchiha compound to explode into a shower of stones. The clone should still be there. Sasuke was confident in the way the clone would handle itself.  
Wait.

Sasuke replayed the image he saw in his memory. The green suit, the bowl cut and the muscular figure. There was only one person that matched such a description. This changed things. This wasn't a target to be subdued or eliminated. With how silently he'd managed to take out his adversaries, he didn't think he'd attract any of the Leaf's main forces.  
It was just one thing after the next wasn't it? Transferring himself into the past with all his powers and experience intact was supposed to make things _easier_.

Swallowing his grievances, Sasuke picked out one of the ROOT members from the pocket dimension into which he'd put them. The ROOT operative staggered with disorientation before his mind was subdued by an easy application of the Sharingan. Silently, Sasuke stripped the boy of his mask and his cloak. Yellow eyes, Sasuke noted. What a strange color. A special doujutsu? He released the boy. Then, with his Kamui, Sasuke shunted him back into the other dimension from where he'd been imprisoned. Hood and mask acquired, Sasuke quickly followed after Konoha's self-styled Green Beast.

"What happened here?" Sasuke heard Gai mutter to himself as he neared the place where the initial assault had begun. The area was littered with burn damage and tears. The rooftops were littered with kunai, and a wide hole could be seen on the side of the building.

"Uchiha Sasuke!" Gai declared loudly, somehow not having noticed his follower as he approached the glaring hole in the side of the building. "Are you in there!"

Sasuke stepped lightly to a space not far behind Maito Gai and listened as his clone stepped out from the crevice in his kitchen. While the clone talked, it quickly made a non-discreet sign indicating that Danzo was still in the same spot. Sasuke concentrated on the area where he knew Danzo's body to be, and opened a wormhole over it with the Obito's eye.

It was at that moment that the clone decided to point at him, catching Maito Gai's attention. Sasuke smirked as he thought on what he was going to do. He briefly wondered if Sakura was safe. The rumors that Yamanaka Ino had spread must've been how Danzo had gotten wind of whatever connection he had with his future wife. Sasuke closed his eyes gently, chiding himself for his lack of foresight. Then, opening his eyes once more, he focused on the area where his clone stood. The clone, clearly having caught on to the thoughts of the original, made a loud cry of distress, divesting the Green Jonin's attention.

 _This should be interesting._

With his clone properly abducted, Sasuke smirked and created a wormhole over himself, leaving Maito Gai to make whatever he would of the situation

* * *

 **KAMUI**

* * *

A lump of flesh materialized into the plane, immediately catching the notice of the sharp eyes of the highly trained ROOT operatives that had been looking in that area. Immediately, a small group of four moved in to investigate, signalling others in the area. Nearby, a few cries of alarm could be heard from the sensor in their group. Mei, the interim commander of the four-man cell, looked to the sensor who only looked back wide-eyed through the holes of his deer mask.

To withhold information from the group was a punishable offence. That one will be reported to Danzo later. Resuming her course, Mei reached the target and made to investigate. Even in their line of work, what lay before them was gruesome. The lump of flesh was a _man_ , and it was alive. Its arms had been removed, its legs were splayed, its back was an angry red miasma of damaged flesh, and its head had been shaved, literally. In place of hair were severe burn scars; the layer between the skull and the brain had been carefully removed with the brain intact with frightening precision. Finally, there was the face. It was a face straight out of a nightmare, with its bloody orifices and gaping, skull-like appearance. Worse, the flesh seemed to have been peeled away in many small slivers, like a sculpture.

Despite her emotional training, Mei stood with a look of faint disgust on her face. She looked to the sensor-nin from earlier who replied with a calm, detached voice. "It's Danzo-sama."

And then, before any of them could react, another figure appeared a short distance away. Several more squads that had been coming into the scene immediately recognized the new arrival. Uchiha Sasuke's eyes swept over the crowd of ROOT Shinobi gathering toward him.

Another figure. This one wearing the hood and mask of a ROOT operative, materialized ten meters before him. Unbeknownst to the members of ROOT who weren't specialized sensors, this operative was the original Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, the clone, ignored the new arrival and began to speak. "I highly suggest we settle for peaceful negotiations. As you can see, Danzo is dead, and without me, you will all be trapped in this dimension forever. Think on that before you engage me."

There was a pause as the members of ROOT settled. Some from among them were probably even full-fledged members of the ANBU. Sasuke was sure not all of them were in the know on Danzo's many plans and wiles. In fact, he was certain no single member of ROOT or the ANBU knew much beyond the tasks they were assigned. As operatives who worked under Danzo, their modus operandi, in Sasuke's experience, was to follow orders without asking questions.

"Then," A masked figure stepped forward from the fore of the group. "What is it that you want from us?"

"What I want from you?" Sasuke tilted his head as if in consideration. "If there's anything that Danzo has taught you, it is to value the Hidden Leaf above all else." With a flash of movement too fast for the naked eye to perfectly capture let alone for the surrounding people to react to, the boy drew his sword and plunged it right through Danzo's head.

Mei, who had been standing directly over the corpse with her squad, stared with wide-eyed horror at the boy who knelt before her with sword in hand. A smattering of blood could be seen flecked across his face as he stared back grimly. "I too place great value in the Hidden Leaf. Danzo, however, did not. His deeds, the actions he has taken toward ruining this village, are the reason I am here, facing you right now."

"Why should we listen to you?" Another voice spoke from the crowd. At the same instant, a pale-faced boy with a smiling expression stepped forward from among the crowd of ROOT members. "Again, what do you want from us?"

Sasuke stared into the familiar, pale, smiling face and tilted his head. "What makes you think I want anything from you?"

"Well clearly," Sai began. "If you didn't want anything from us, you'd simply leave us here to starve. We can't kill you, but you could kill us quite easily. Isn't that right?"

Sasuke smiled. Sai smiled back.

"I want you to rejoin the Leaf as normal citizens and give yourselves a chance at a life outside of ROOT, at least as an experiment. From now on, the village's defences and hidden operations will no longer be placed in your hands."

Like a trigger, several operatives reacted at once from behind the speaker. Soundlessly, one member flash-stepped toward their captor, sword in hand and already pushed forward. A moment later, that operative was crushed mask-first into the grey, cubic terrain structure by a palm held over the back of her head.

As the operatives went into formation to take his clone down, Sasuke sighed internally. He didn't want to kill them. The majority of them were children, and all of them had been brainwashed. Still, regardless of the emotional conditioning that they'd been put through, they were still human. Many of them, like Sai, deserved a chance at a better life, one that wasn't tainted by Danzo's manipulation and scheming.

Each and every one of them deserved a chance to be redeemed. _Even Danzo_. A small voice suggested inside his head.

As he moved to engage his own clone, Sasuke silently pinched that thought out of existence. Danzo was an exception. Danzo deserved it.

* * *

 **Hospital**

* * *

"It seems non-lethal. We cannot afford to spend valuable hospital staff and resources to amend such a petty problem. Many of our Shinobi come in hurt with such injuries. It's something she'll simply have to live with."

Naruto gaped at the middle-aged man who was staring down at him with a look of disinterest. It'd been _years_ since he'd encountered this. To think that it would happen now of all times. To his side, Sakura seemed on the point of tears as she stared down at the hand mirror in her lap.

Naruto closed his eyes, finding calm in the fact that the healer was merely ignorant. It wasn't his fault that he'd developed the opinions that he did. Ignorance was a tragedy, but it wasn't a crime.

"I know you hate me." Naruto said quietly in his child's voice. "It doesn't matter. She and I are two different people. I could give zero complaints if you decide you want to leave me untreated if I were to become injured. I'm used to it, but that's the limit of what I can accept. I can't accept you doing this to another person just because she was _brought in_ by me. What if I had carried Uchiha Sasuke in here? Would you deny _him_ treatment?"

"Kid-" The man interjected, arms crossed.

"Don't you know how this will affect her?" Naruto looked again at his friend who had turned away. The girls shoulders trembled as she hid her face in her hands, unwilling to let herself be seen. "Don't you care at all?"

The medic sighed, uncrossing his arms. "Have you heard of Morino Ibiki?"

"Ibiki-sensei?" Naruto asked. "Of course… why?"

"Then you know of his condition, do you not? Do you think we let him walk around with half his head ruined just because we didn't like him?" The medic bit out harshly. Naruto's eyes widened as the medic walked over and sat on the chair in front of the treatment bed where Sakura was sitting. It seemed Sakura had also perceived the implications of the medic's words.

Naruto stared at her small form as she went from quiet weeping to heaving sobs. The medic gently put his hands over the girl's face, prying away her hands while uttering soft encouragements. "It'll be alright. Let me see if there's anything that can be done." He said.

Slowly, Sakura let her hands drop.

Upon seeing her, Naruto flinched instinctively. Even with what he'd done to help her, for some reason, the various slashed across her face seemed unnaturally intact.

Sakura quickly put her hands back to her face and began making choking sobbing noises.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Your presence is unnecessary." The medic-nin said condescendingly. "Leave."

"What?!" Naruto looked to his friend with bewilderment. "But I'm her friend. I'll be here to-"

"Naruto _go away!_ " Sakura muffled into her palms, silencing Naruto into speechlessness.

"What did you say?"

"I-" Sakura hitched several breaths. "I hate you. Go away."

"But-" Naruto stood, making to approach his friend and comfort her. He was immediately rebuffed by the medic who pushed him away.

"As you can see, she doesn't want you here. You are a hindrance. Leave."

Stunned, Naruto let himself be pushed to the door, all the while looking into the room at his friend who refused to look back at him.  
Once the medic had pushed him out, he made to swing the door shut. Naruto jammed a foot into the doorway, and the wooden frame slammed into his ankles.

"Please remove your foot. I will only ask once."

"Sakura-chan." Naruto said audibly from the doorway. "No matter what happens to you, Sasuke and I will always be there for you, ok? Everything is going to be fine."

Naruto left his foot at the doorway for another moment as he stared into the room. The angle made it impossible for him to see his friend. Instead, looming above him, was the baleful eyes of the medic who glared down at him. From inside, Naruto could hear the sound of papery sobs.

"Are you done?" The medic asked in a neutral tone.

Naruto looked up at the medic and stared into his eyes. "What is your name?"

"Why?" The medic smiled dryly and put a hand to his stubbly chin. "Are you putting me on a list?"

"I just want to know so I know who to avoid the next time I come here."

"I see. That would work out for the both of us." The man grinned, opened the door widely, and gave a half-bow. "I'm Kishimoto. Now get out."

Naruto retracted his foot and the door slammed shut.

With a sigh, he leaned his back against the wall next to the door and slid down. Just a couple days in and he'd already failed. How could this have happened? There were so many other people out there whose family are being slaughtered and whose lives are being toyed with by psychopaths like Orochimaru and here he was fretting over what many would have considered superficial damage on his friend's face. But this was his friend. He had a right to care about her happiness and well-being.  
If everyone stopped thinking on resolving smaller problems just because bigger ones existed, then nothing would ever get done. Death, for example, was an unsolvable yet all-encompassing conundrum. It was a problem that had yet to be solved. That didn't stop people from trying to make the most of their lives, didn't it?

There will _always_ be something bigger, something worse. To leave a problem at hand for the mere reason that, somewhere in the world, there existed a more pressing problem is to be nothing more than a negligent sod who cannot be relied on for anything.

Of course, one who held the position of operating medic could not possibly have been able to attain or hold that position if he were such a specimen as described. The alternative, which was arguably better or worse depending on one's perspective, was that the man, this Kishimoto, was intentionally making Naruto's encounter with him as unpleasant as possible.

Naruto sighed. He didn't miss being a social outcast at all. With a quick seal, he made a Shadow clone on the spot. There was something he needed to check up on, but, as of this moment, he could no longer trust the safety of his friend to providence. The clone and the original shared a brief look. Not a word passed between them. Of course, having been made with the memories of the original, the clone knew exactly the purpose for which it had been created without having to be told a single thing.

Turning away, the clone flitted out of the hospital grounds. Naruto continued to sit against the wall, guarding his friend from harm as memories from several dozen shadow clones told him a mixed story. The main ROOT hideout had been dismantled. The clones that he'd created earlier that morning had executed flawlessly. The small ROOT contingent that he'd tracked the day before had been successfully detained and their appearances copied. An entire squad of Danzo's hidden army had become an entire squad of Naruto clones acting as part of Danzo's hidden army.

It had made it all the easier to raise the alarm and provoke Danzo's rescue. This was, of course, after a small cluster of other hidden bases had also been discreetly overtaken. These had been places where Naruto had spent innumerable hours helping to conduct and oversee many research ventures, places that the former members of ROOT, including Sai, had helpfully located and provided to the village administration for its personal use. The sectors not dedicated to research (which rivalled even Orochimaru's own ventures), had been turned into the village's second hospital complex.

The end of the Fourth Shinobi War and its subsequent unified alliance had resulted in an explosion of immigrants into the beautiful forests of the Land of Fire and the areas around the Hidden Leaf. A secondary hospital had been more than necessary. It was in that hospital, the Leaf's East Medical Center, where Sakura had made a name for herself both as an incredible medic and the reputed director of the entire secondary complex. There was no doubt that her considerable efforts had contributed enormously to resolving the many difficulties that had come with the Medical Center's nascent years as a completely new yet fully operational facility.

Without his long years of constantly being in and out of just about every part of the village, Naruto was sure that he wouldn't have been anywhere near as efficient or assured in his takeover of ROOT in this time.

* * *

 **Alternate Dimension**

* * *

The group kept their distance, wary and stubborn. Sasuke glanced briefly at the original, who stood with the other members of ROOT, acting as they did with a mask over his face and a hood over his head. He hadn't felt so unsatisfied since his first encounter with Naruto two years after he'd left the village with Orochimaru many years before. It was just too easy; it wasn't enough. In a small area around him, several bodies lay strewn about.

For a moment, Sasuke - the clone - wondered if this was what his ancestor had felt during the Fourth Shinobi War, when Hashirama had sent mere wood clones to challenge the legendary Uchiha Madara. Sasuke - the original - watched with idle patience as a group of nearly twenty closed off and then surrounded his clone on all sides.

Then, they engaged him through whatever openings they could find. They were skilled, no doubt. With the kind of training regimen imposed upon them, they simply had to be.

Sasuke watched his clone move through the air like a performer who had had years of practice to perfect and choreograph his movements for that very moment. The clones' movements were flawless and its intuition impeccable as it neatly and systematically crippled his attackers

"What are you doing?" A voice asked quietly from Sasuke's side.

Sasuke turned his attention from his clone to the masked companions who stood next to him.

How was Naruto here? Even as he thought the question, Sasuke already had the reply in his head. Naruto had pretended to be one of the ROOT operatives that had gathered to attack the Uchiha compound and rescue Danzo. _Of course_ , Sasuke chided himself. _You idiot._

"Naruto." Sasuke's clone announced, directing Naruto's attention away from the original. The clone walked a few leisure steps toward his friend and stopped directly before the body of his original victim.

"You can't even recognize him anymore can you?" Sasuke kicked at the bloody mess of flesh that had once been Danzo and scrutinized his friend who was gazing upon the scene with a wide-eyed look. "Have you ever wondered what would have happened if your words failed to sway people with your ideals?"

"Sasuke." Naruto said hoarsely as he fought down an instinctual nausea. "You shouldn't have killed him. Danzo may have been deluded, but he wasn't evil. Even someone like him-"

"Someone like Danzo couldn't be redeemed no matter what was said to him." Sasuke interrupted. Naruto forced himself to look upon the corpse. The skin on the main body had turned a mottled purple. It was disgusting.

"You don't know that."

"I _do_ know that." Sasuke said softly. "Naruto, there are some truths you have to accept.. like the fact that the peace we had in our future would never have been achieved without the Fourth Shinobi War."

"Aren't you forgetting the lesson we learned? People are all the same. We all want to live our lives in peace. It's just a matter of _understanding_ that truth. Everyone has a capacity for that understanding."

"What about the truly evil psychopaths? People like those, people like Danzo, have minds that are attuned to a different sort of truth. They're the kind of people who understand _exactly_ what it is that people like you want and yet still go about doing things that directly contradict everything that you work for."

Naruto shook his head. "I don't see your point. You just did something which I am absolutely certain that you knew I wouldn't have condoned. And look at the people you killed. _Why?_ "

"Naruto." Sasuke breathed slowly. "You do not control me or my actions. And just because your ideology worked out and you became Hokage, doesn't mean that you know what the best course of action is for every scenario. Do you think men like Danzo or Madara, men who are incapable of _ever_ reaching your brand of understanding no matter what you do to them, men who are willing to torture and kill as many as their deluded minds deem necessary… do you think they're worth redeeming too?"

"Yes." Naruto replied without skipping a beat. "Everyone is worth redeeming. Gaara was once one of your so-called psychopaths. At one point, he would have also been considered a completely evil person. Look at him now-" Naruto paused. "I mean…he's one of the most kind-hearted and hard-working people I knew. He was also one of my greatest friends. Everyone deserves a chance Sasuke, and now that you're in a position to give it, it is your responsibility, to our future, to do what is right."

Sasuke blinked slowly at the utter idiocy of his friend. It was by sheer chance that Naruto's ideals had managed to find purchase on the political mess that was the elemental nations. It was by chance that Obito had been stupid enough to have _openly declared war_ on everyone and everything, banding everyone together into one camp. By some miracle, this camp -the unified Shinobi Alliance, also somehow managed to stay together even after the defeat of their common enemy. And now Naruto was using happenstance to justify his ideals as absolute truth. There was a reason the Shinobi world had become so cynical. It wasn't because people like Naruto hadn't existed before. There were at least hundreds of Naruto-like people born every year. Naruto was simply the one who also happened to be the luckiest. Without the powers he had been given at birth, it wouldn't have mattered how much conviction he placed in his words. A man like Naruto was the type to die young fighting for what he believed, the type whose ideals were much too lofty for any sort of reasonable accommodation.

With practiced control, Sasuke put his face in a carefully neutral expression to hide his frustration. "There's nothing you can say that I couldn't come up with or already thought of myself, Naruto, nothing that I haven't heard already. What I have to say, however, you haven't heard, so let me speak. If there's anything you feel you need to say after you hear what I tell you, I'll listen."

"Sasuke." Naruto gazed upon the masses of ROOT operatives who now stood a reasonable distance away, every one of them no doubt fully aware of what the two outsiders could do.

Naruto gestured toward the litter of bodies that surrounded his friend. "In what world is this acceptable? Isn't that the very thing we're trying to prevent?"

"Naruto…" Sasuke replied. "Listen-"

A sword flashed through the air from behind and, in a puff of smoke, Naruto's clone was dispelled.

* * *

 **HOSPITAL**

* * *

Sakura was being treated. At least that asshole Kishimoto afforded her some semblance of kindness.

"..." Naruto stared wide-eyed at the wall opposite from where he sat as an influx of information poured into his head. He bolted up, every nerve in his body set tingling as he felt a sudden rise of irritation and anger in his chest.

"Sasuke you idiot!" Naruto yelled. "You stubborn bastard! Uchiha piece of crackery! Skilless, Sharingan-abusing hack! You, you descendant of Uchiha Madara!" Naruto pulled tightly at his hair and scowled up at the ceiling. " _FUCK!_ "

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S RAMBLING -** Hey, longtime no update. It's very nice to see you all again. Been busy. Studying and doing projects. Summer is no longer vacation season for me. TAT


	17. Chapter 17

I'm too lazy to think up my own OC character names, so I borrow them from pre-existing anime universes. :D

* * *

 **Yamanaka Residence**

* * *

"I can't believe he picks _her_. I mean seriously. Can you believe it?! I mean, like, even their _Jonin-mentor_ just nonchalantly called him an abusive husband, which _implies_ that Sakura holds the status of wife! Can you believe that? I mean we're like, thirteen for crying out loud!" The girl took a breath from her rant. "When in the world did that even happen? Like, out of the blue?! I don't believe it. It's so ridiculous!"

Shikamaru picked his ears as he began regret agreeing to coming with his parents to their little socio-political assembly. And why did it have to be at the Yamanakas of all places?

The dark-haired boy laid his head in his hands. Maybe he should get a haircut. The ponytail he wore kept having had to be tied every morning. He'd look ridiculous sure. His mother would complain sure, but ultimately, it was less effort for him

"Are you even _listening to me?!_ "

-but the sheer quantity of time and effort required to _explain_ why he shaved his head to his peers and to his father was, quite honestly, not worth the time saved from having to tie his hair. How women could even stand going around with something so cumbersome sprouting out of their scalps-

"Agh! What are you doing?" He cried as he felt a sudden uncomfortable sensation of pinchy fingers tugging tightly at his ears.

"What do you think I'm doing? I feel like I'm talking to a wall. Are you a wall, Shikamaru?"

Having finally procured a response, the girl released the ear-flap held between her thumb and forefinger.

"Was that supposed to be an insult?" Shikamaru's muttered before raising his voice slightly. "Just because I'm not responding, doesn't mean I'm not listening."

"Hmph!" Ino crossed her arms and swished her ponytail back. "So? You're supposed to be the smart one. What do you think?"

"I don't think I much care." Shikamaru replied with an offhanded tone, returning his hands to their place behind his head. "Relationships at this age don't mean anything. Maybe it was a one-night stand."

"What?!" Ino pictured her friend and Sasuke together.. "What do you mean one-night stand?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "What do you think I mean?"

Ino's head began to whiz at the speed of firing synapses. "That… actually makes sense. I mean they were completely unrelated one day, like Forehead totally wasn't anywhere _close_ to being near him and then-" Ino paused. "Oh my god. Maybe… I mean, once you go all the way you pretty much have to commit, especially if - did she really?! Husband and wife. Maybe they're engaged now since.. Oh my god. She _didn't!_ .." The blonde beamed. "Shikamaru you're a genius!"

"So I've heard." Shikamaru said, looking up at the Yamanaka home's living room ceiling to indicate his clear lack of interest in interacting with living objects in his immediate vicinity.

"But you're still an asshole." Ino declared. "I'm going to tell Dad. There might even be a mini-investigation. Sasuke is a reaally important asset to the village right now. The fact that he's.. that he even..." Ino looked askance. "You have noo idea."

"Mhm." Shikamaru agreed, and Ino twirled happily and ran off.

With a groan of release and comfort, the Nara clan heir let his mind wander off. Being teammates with Ino meant that the Nara clan had an excuse to speak and get chummy with the Yamanaka clan. It was all about maintaining socio-political connections. It was always the same narrative: grow strong bonds and protect the Leaf. When he grew older…

Shikamaru untied his short ponytail and let his head rest on the cushion. Really, he deserved an award. He'd manage to hold his own against Yamanaka Ino. Most importantly, he'd managed to do it without actually listening to a word she was saying.

They should emblazon his name on a trophy with text underneath saying "The Leaf's #1 Bullshitter." He deserved at least that much..

Shikamaru stared listlessly at the nice, polished ceiling above his head and reconsidered. Nah. That title belonged to Naruto. That kid spouted so much bullshit, he wouldn't be surprised if the deviant prankster was actually descended from some species of genetically flatulent cows.

Shikamaru imagined Naruto's head growing out of a cow.

Disturbing.

Shutting that image away into a deep, dark dungeon where it would never see the light of day again, Shikamaru turned his thoughts back to his chattery teammate. Whatever it is Ino was talking to him about, he was bound to hear it again in the near future from another person. After all, if there was anything that Yamanaka Ino possessed, it was a very loud mouth that somehow always knew how to get into people's ears.

It was downright poetic.

* * *

 **Ramen Stand**

* * *

"I can't believe what I heard this morning. Uchiha Sasuke and Sakura getting hitched at this age. That's _crazy!_ " Taking a bite out of her barbeque stick, Ino chewed on her morsel of meat with vigor. "Even their Jonin sensei, _the_ Kakashi of the Sharingan, called Sasuke Sakura's husband. Now he's treating her like they're totally in a relationship. I mean, I could expect this out of Naruto, maybe, but Sasuke! I expected more from him. Him and Sakura both."

"That sounds like quite the news." The man behind the foodstand counter said in reply. The sound of boiling soup and frying vegetables wafted into the late afternoon air. "I heard that he even holds special, private training sessions with the girl." Shaking his head the man sighed. "Kids these days. It's younger and younger with each generation isn't it? What's the world coming to?"

"I know!" Ino huffed. "That's exactly what I was thinking. The real question is, how did she get him to do it? Like, Sasuke _never_ paid attention to girls. She _had_ to have forced him or tricked him into doing it, and I want to know how."

The man behind the counter chuckled and slipped two large bowls of steamy food onto the counter. "Here's your order."

"Thank you." Ino said politely. At the same time to her right, her teammate shouted "Awesome!" noisily and proceeded to gorge himself on the delicacy by the spoonful.

Ino took a large sip of her stew and set it down. "So wait, where did you hear about them getting together, Tessai?"

"The Last Uchiha and his girl?" The man asked, his back already turned toward his cooking gear once more.

"That's who I've been talking about isn't it?"

"Ah of course." The tall foodstand owner, Tessai Tsubakishi, chuckled lightly. "You know the usual. People come and go, and some talk and some don't. I'm sure if it was meant to be a secret, I wouldn't hear a single word about it. The Last Uchiha is an important asset to the village though. I mean, even I know that and I'm no Ninja. In my opinion, the earlier we get the Uchiha clan growing in the village again, the better. It's such a pity, they had some really cute girls."

"And guys too." Ino suggested.

"I'm not really sure about that one. You were too young to have ever met him, but the Uchiha head of clan was one mean-looking fellow with his large cleft-chin. Not the most attractive man."

"He's probably just an exception."

"Uchiha Fugaku? Not really. You do know that he's Uchiha Sasuke's father right?"

"That doesn't prove anything."

The foodstand owner shrugged. "It is what it is. I suggest you start eating the stew before it gets cold."

At that Chouji stopped feeding the bottomless pit that was his stomach and looked up. "If you don't want it, I'll take it." He offered.

Ino looked down at her soup glumly. "Go ahead."

The happiest smile lighted on Chouji's face as he loudly declared his thanks before snapping up the bowl to empty its contents. "Are you jealous of your friend, Sakura?" Chouji asked through mouthfuls of rice and stew. "I heard-"

"Me? Jealous?!" Ino interrupted. "Of course I'm jealous! I mean, she's going to be future matriarch of the Uchiha clan at this rate, _and_ Sasuke just happens to also be the most talented and attractive guy of our generation. What girl _wouldn't_ be jealous?"

"So." Chouji gulped and shoveled another mouthful of food into his mouth before resuming his words. "You wish you were in her spot right now?"

"Uh. Have you been listening?" Ino rolled her eyes and ignored the feeling of disgust at the half-chewed pieces of food sticking out of her teammate's mouth. " _Duh!_ " _How come I get the worst of the guys? It's so not fair._ "I bet if I'd been in Sasuke's team, it'd be me who people would be calling his wife instead of her right now."

Chouji snorted. "You're such a hypocrite. Weren't you just talking about how you expected more from them?

"Well- I… you." Ino scoffed as she realized that her teammate was right. "At least I'm not a fat pig like you."

The world stilled for a moment as Chouji stopped chewing. Slowly, he turned his head and trained his gleaming eyes on the now regretful blonde to his side.

"Wait, I didn't mean-"

" _WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?!"_

The afternoon Sun diminished. Somewhere, in the middle of a bustling street of a village nestled inside a vast forest of trees, a girl apologized profusely.

* * *

 **Hokage's Office**

* * *

"I am sorry this-" The Hokage began with sincerity.

"How can you expect me to trust you?"

"Mr. Haruno-"

"How can you expect me to feel safe living in this village when people can just slip into my home and do something like this?!"

"Mr. Haruno, these things happen no matter where you live. Even the Leaf is not immune to such incidents." The old man explained calmly. "In fact, we haven't had an incident like this since Kumo's attempt to kidnap the Hyuuga heiress eight years ago. I am extremely sorry that you and your daughter had to be the unfortunate victims to break the peace. If there's anything I can do-"

"Where is she?"

"Your daughter is safe in the hospital." The leader of the village replied knowledgeably. "She will return home once her injuries have been treated."

"Injuries?" The frazzled father asked worriedly.

"All surface wounds, nothing that will endanger her in any way, rest assured." Hiruzen frowned and thought on the old pipe that he'd destroyed. How he missed its comforting presence between his lips. The old man sighed. "I should warn you, Mr. Haruno, that your daughter may not be in a sound state of mind."

Kizashi chuckled, his nerves high-strung. "Neither would I if I'd been kidnapped by strangers without warning."

"There is more." The Hokage intoned to his visitor's consternation. "Your daughter will bear some... marks… from her ordeal. I urge you to treat her gently and help her in her recovery, both physical and mental."

"I understand." Kizashi straightened.

"The Leaf will provide any resources you need to aid you in the recovery process. We will send a mental health counselor to your home tomorrow at nine in the morning. Take a rest day from your job, Mr. Haruno. You and your wife both. I will make sure your employer's are notified and that you receive no penalties." The old Kage paused to intake a breath of the pipe that no longer existed. After a short second of disorientation, Hiruzen coughed as a cover to his mistake. "Once again, I am sorry this tragedy had to happen to your family. Take a rest day Mr. Haruno. I wish you the best in your recovery."

Realizing the clear dismissal Kizashi bowed. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage nodded and Kizashi departed.

Tired, Hiruzen delayed calling in his next audience to lay back into his chair. To think that Danzo would go to such lengths. This incident wasn't an attack from outside forces, nor was it the work of a criminal. It was an attack coordinated by the Leaf's administration itself. If such a detail were to be leaked to the public, there would be great unrest among the civilian populace. The fact of the matter was, events such as these happened all the time. Every day. In a world under such constant strife, only the illusion and the belief that there was peace and that the people were safe kept any of the Hidden Villages from falling apart. It was an Illusion that all Kages since the First had had to do whatever they could to maintain.

Hiruzen sighed. His years of experience had long desensitized him of these everyday tragedies. Once, the news of a young recruit or scout being captured and tortured or the news of some Genin being killed in the fields saddened him greatly. Those feelings were greatly diminished, replaced by a deep resignation that he fought to combat with each passing day. To him, the current state of affairs between the Five Nations was as close to peace as could be plausibly achieved. It was the reason Naruto's future had so impressed him, the reason he was willing to make such sacrifices to see what sounded to him like an incredible, utopian impossibility. Never had he thought that it'd be possible. Even Tobirama, the Second Hokage himself with all his incredible experience, intuition and intellect in governance, had declared Naruto's peace nigh impossible. And yet, to hear it described to him, to hear all his doubts and questions answered so sincerely, Hiruzen could not help but want to believe.

And by all that he stood for, he would do what he could to help make that utopia a reality. Already, he'd seen to and allowed drastic changes to occur, including the disbanding of ROOT and the detainment of Danzo.

The old man winced as he thought on the torture that he'd seen his friend undergo through his crystal ball. Perhaps Danzo has committed many evils and had even tried to assassinate Hiruzen - an action demanding an outright penalty of death. But no human being deserved to be soiled and ruined like Danzo had been under the hands of the Sharingan-wielding time-traveller. Arguably, Danzo himself had committed worse, but it had all been toward a positive goal.  
Hiruzen sighed, chiding himself for his soft-heartedness. First Orochimaru, now Danzo. With the injuries he's sustained, Danzo will now have no choice but to retire. Maybe retirement will mellow out Danzo's conniving mind and sometimes destructive ambition. Maybe then, he'd finally have his old friend back.

* * *

 **Outside**

* * *

"Leave me alone." The girl whispered hoarsely. "Please."

"OK." Came the reply.

"What?"

The girl stopped in place, seeming to not expect compliance to have come so easily. The boy who'd been following alongside her stopped with her.

"Look at me." The boy commanded and this time, it was the girl who complied. After a barely noticeable flinch, she stared blankly and nervously into the boy's piercing eyes. Silence ensued as she waited for what was to come next.

Satisfied, the boy spoke again. "You do realize that I'm an adult male - almost thirty-three years of age in fact - and that I've known you longer than you've been alive. I want you to tell me what you're feeling and why. I can help you, but I can't do that if I don't know why you're so angry."

The girl sniffed and then said something under her breath.

"..." Naruto narrowed his eyes. He didn't hear what she said at all. "Did? Did what?"

"Did something..." Looking straight at the boy's whiskered face, the girl raised her voice and gestured toward her own cheeks. "Did something like this happen to me in the future? Did something like this ever happen to me?!"

"No." Naruto answered grimly after a moment's thought..

"Then it's your fault." Sakura's breath caught as she turned away. The empty streets of the night hiding her expression away from all but the most powerful of eyes. "It's your fault." She sobbed, falling on the brink of crying once more.

Naruto stared into the back of his friend's head, finally understanding her resentment. If he and Sasuke hadn't come back, none of the events of the past few days would have happened. This was indeed his fault. If only they'd been more careful… Naruto clenched his fists in an attempt to ward off his feeling of self-loathing. It was all his fault.

"Sakura, I'm sorr-"

His voice was cut off as a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him.

"Thank you." Sakura cried as she squeezed her friend with all her might, each word of thanks bringing tears blinking out of her eyes. "Thank you for coming. Thank you for being there. Thank you for saving me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

"Um, Sakura." Slowly, Naruto pat his friend comfortingly in the back before gently separating himself from her embrace. "Are you ok?"

"Uzumaki Naruto." Sakura pushed herself away and wiped off her tears. "You owe me a favor."

Naruto smiled, feeling unsure in the face of his friend's drastic change in mood. "Anything. What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know yet." The girl replied, her tears trailing down the slashes on her face like a river through an artificial trench. "But for now, just walk me home."

They walked almost amiably, reaching the apartment in short time. The absence of the moon thankfully hid her appearance from any prying eyes. When she got home, when she saw her dad looking frazzled with small bags under his eyes from lack of sleep, she felt a mixture of relief and guilt. "Dad.. Are you-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Sakura had been scooped up into her father's arms. "Sakura. My little Cherry Blossom.." _What happened to you?_ He wanted to ask, but refrained, choosing words of comfort instead. "It's ok. You're safe now. Dad's here for you."

"Dad.." Sakura replied quietly. "I'm fine. I just need some rest."

With a nod, he released her. "Who would do such a terrible thing?" He said, commenting on her appearance.

Sakura shook her head and turned away, climbing the stairs to her room. Standing in place, the father stared in the wake of his daughter's departure for a good minute before turning to shut the door.

From the doorway, Naruto looked on at the father who seemed to finally notice him. "Mr. Haruno… I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Kizashi smiled despite himself. "It's not your fault. Thank you for bringing her back."

Naruto nodded, not knowing what to say. He'd been awake for over twenty hours now. Combined with the thousands of hours accumulated from the memories of his dispersed clones, it felt like he hadn't slept in months; he was both physically and mentally exhausted. "Well." He finally managed. "Good night."

"Good night, Naruto-kun." Kizashi repeated. "And thank you."

He shut the door and stalked off to bed to sleep.

* * *

 **A visitor in the night**

* * *

He'd given them a chance, and they'd refused to take it. That was fine. Just as Naruto would have done, he would make the offer again and again until they accepted it. Until then, he had all the time in the world to condition them. The usefulness of Obito's Kamui could not be understated. As of this moment, every single member of ROOT that he and Naruto had captured now sat inside Kamui, trapped inside Tsukuyomi where they would integrate themselves into a fantasy society. Then, he would check on them each individually. The ones that were ready would be released. The ones who weren't ready or who would never be ready would be put to other uses.

If he had to make an estimate, it would take one real day inside the Tsukuyomi for him to collect all the information he needed to judge them.

Sasuke put a hand to his closed eyelids. It was likely that he'd have to severely restrict his usage of the Sharingan for the next week. In fact, he didn't even know if he was capable of activating it for the next several days. He'd abused the Kamui a little over a thousand times in one day. Adding on to the excessive casting of the Tsukuyomi, he'd pushed his eyes beyond their limit. If it weren't for the Chakra that Naruto had lent him, he wouldn't have been able to do half the things he'd managed to do this evening.

Tired and suffering a splitting headache, he stalked toward his destination. The door was locked. He considered his options and decided that one more cast wouldn't hurt. Activating his left eye, he ported himself into the alternate dimension of Kamui, walked forward past where the door would be, and ported himself back into his world.

He climbed the steps toward where he knew her room would be, small rivulets of blood trailing out of his eyes as he broke into his future-wife's room without making a single noise. That was when he saw her. Instead of lying asleep in her bed like he'd expected her to be doing, Sakura was sitting at her desk, her back facing him as she stared down at her lap in the lamplight.

"Sakura?" He said gently.

Immediately, the girl stiffened, her back going ramrod straight. "Sasuke? What are you doing in my house, in my _room_ , at 3 AM in the morning?"

"I came to-"

"Do you have no sense of privacy?" She hissed. "You can't just break into someone's house like this. I… I barely even know you. Please leave."

"Sakura-"

"Please." Sakura's voice took on a begging tone. "Get out."

"Why aren't you asleep?" Sasuke asked, ignoring her request.

"I'm going to scream, Sasuke. I don't care if you're from the future. I don't want you here."

Sasuke remained standing stubbornly at his future-wife's doorway. "At least look me in the face when you're talking to me."

"You're an intruder. I don't need to do anything for you. Leave now or I will report you for breaking into my house."

Sasuke stepped forward. He was ok with leaving. He just wanted to see her. He wanted to see her green eyes, her small nose, and her high forehead. Was that too much to ask?

Noticing the cabinet mirror to her side, he stepped forward silently. "I'm sorry." He said as he moved, moderating the volume of his voice as he walked closer to make it seem like he wasn't moving. "I'll leave." When he finally got the right angle to see the side of her face, Sasuke shook his head, closed his eyes, and then looked again. Were those… _scars_ on her face?

He stood unmoving and silent for several minutes.

Thinking she was finally alone, Sakura turned to see if her self-proclaimed future-husband was gone, and was, instead, faced with the very last thing she wanted to see. The boy stared right into her face, his eyes blazing red with the Sharingan. Blood was visibly leaking out of his eyes and dripping from his chin, and he didn't seem to notice. The image of his wife's damaged face, laced with a poisonous brackish-looking Chakra - engraved itself in his mind.  
" _Tell me who did this to you_." He commanded.

Sakura stared deep into the boy's mesmerizing Sharingan and complied.

* * *

 **First Iteration**

* * *

Someone with less wile would have sat up the moment she woke. It was a habit that had long been driven out of her through years of training. Peeping her eyes open slowly, she took in her surroundings. That's right, she had a mission. Danzo had entrusted her with appropriating the Haruno girl. Her and Moose.

She sat up frantically. Where was her mask? Where was Moose? Despite her years of mental endurance training, she began to feel the involuntary fear that came whenever she thought on risking Danzo's ire. Even so, she hid her emotions well. She had a mission to complete. How did she end up in the Hospital?

"Hello, Ms. Yuno." A calm voice spoke from the doorway. A medic-nin entered the room, a small, fraying cloak dangling on his narrow shoulders.

"Hello." She replied automatically, assuming her alias without pause. "What happened to me? Why am I in the hospital?"

The man - barely a man really - smiled kindly. "You were brought in by, well, that boy - Uzumaki Naruto - seemed to have found you in terrible condition. You and your friend should've ran instead of trying to confront the enemy."

"The… enemy?" She repeated slowly, a technique to draw more content from the conversation. What enemy? Last she remembered-

She winced as she felt a splitting headache tear through the nerves in her brain.  
"I see you've forgotten." The medic sat directly on the mattress of the bed and reached a glowing green hand toward her head. A frown worked itself onto her face, and immediately her face snapped back into neutral position as a less forgettable memory assaulted her. "Rest assured Ms. Yuno, you are in good hands. Whatever memories you had, I'm sure they will come back." The medic spoke conversationally as he performed several preliminary checks on his patient's body, noting once again its trained condition. There was no question about it. This girl was a trained killer. _So young…_ "And even if not," The medic continued smoothly, "I am sure it's nothing that would be missed."

"Where is my friend?" Resisting the slight pain in her skull as she recalled her partner's alias, she paused for a minute fraction of a second. "Where is Yuki Amano? Is he ok?"

The medic smiled, clearly impressed by the apparent empathy that his patient was displaying. "Your friend is fine. Mr. Amano recovered much faster than you did and has already left the facility. Aaand it looks like you are perfectly healthy."

She nodded as the hand that had been hovering over her form finally retracted. "Thank you, medic-san."

"Just doing my job." The medic stood, flipping his long hair to his back. "Do you have any more questions?"

"I…" She thought for a moment. Why was she still suffering a headache? "Yes. I do."

"Oh? Please ask."

"What… analyses procedures.. have you performed on me?"

"Ah. That. Well." The medic fell silent, his face the picture of serenity. "All of them."

"..." A feeling of shock fell over her. There were several highly classified seals engraved on her body. Normally they'd dissipate if she'd died. An automatic response had been engineered into her body by Danzo's seal to cause her to commit suicide if the secrets she held were ever endangered. The only reason she hadn't bit herself in the tongue during the process was… No. The shock transitioned into utter terror. Danzo would kill her. Danzo would more than kill her. Danzo could do many things to a human being. She would be made an example of, and there was no way for her to escape. The seals that had been placed on her guaranteed that he would always know where she was.

"A-all of them?" She repeated, subconsciously reverting back to using the technique of repetition that had been taught to her to draw out information. What she would do with that information… what did she stand to gain?

The medic stood straightening his shabby coat. Then, picking up a notepad from a nearby table, he began reading off its contents. "Ms. Gasai Yuno. Fourteen years of age. Status: Civilian. Occupation: None. Likes to go on long trips with her friends. Dislikes being in one location for too long.

"Now." The man flipped the notepad to the next page. "Condition upon internment: Severe head injuries, a heavily fractured skull that was recently and crudely healed, and a general loss of blood. You have a well-trained body, and are heavily scarred on many visible and non-visible surfaces. Items held upon internment: A white rat-mask, flaying knives, ANBU light-weight combat armor hidden under generic clothing, and, most importantly, sixteen different seals on your body, including a seal of silencing and a seal of self-immolation." The man looked up. "It appears to me, Ms. Yuno, that the information we had on record isn't entirely accurate."

"Accurate?" She asked with her best wide-eyed look. He knew. He must know. She had to kill him. Then she would kill herself. This was her best solution.

"Even if you kill me," The man began with a heavy gravity in his voice, as if he'd read her mind (which wasn't entirely implausible.)

"What are you talking about?"

The man dropped his notepad to his sides. "Even if you kill me, it is too late. The information has already been spread."

"What… information?" She asked with increasing fear.

"This certainly has been entertaining." The effeminate man chuckled. "It seems, Ms. Gasai Yuno, that after supposedly having been disbanded five years ago, ROOT has remained completely and illegally operational."

Her immediate, instinctive reaction urged her to kill this man. That was classified information. She couldn't let it be leaked. It was her duty. She would punish herself afterward.

The medic smiled exultantly as he paused to allow dramatic tension to fill the room. He looked upon his patient - his prey - with a predatory look. The girl stared back, a look of absolute fear painted on her face.

"No reaction?" The man mused. "I thought you'd try to kill me, not that it would have succeeded of course."

"I…" Her tongue glued itself to the ceiling of her mouth as the seal of silencing activated. No words came from her mouth. _Danzo-sama. I'm sorry._ She began to cry. _Danzo-sama, please forgive me. Danzo-sama. Please!_ She couldn't even beg for protection. There was no one she could turn to. Nothing she could do. The safest route would be to kill herself. Anything was better than what Danzo would devise for her.

"How pitiful." The medic began pacing the floor of the room. "Look at you. After all the years you spent being trained as an emotionally stunted killing machine… now you're crying, almost like you were raised a normal human being."

The man paused. "But you can never tell with ROOT. Anything I see or hear from you could very well be part of an act. Well then!" The man stopped his pacing. "I am a busy man. You are permitted to stay in facility premises for as long as you wish. Goodbye, Ms. Gasai Yuno, or whatever your real name is."

 _No._ _Wait!_ She struggled to say. The seal on her tongue redoubled its effectiveness, spreading to her voicebox. She was mute. _Protect me!_ She was desperate to cry. _I'll tell you anything! Just don't let Danzo capture me. Help me!_

"He might be a conniving man." The medic said as he stopped at the doorway. "But even I have to admit, Danzo's seals are quite impressive. That seal of silencing is perhaps one of the more interesting ones I've encountered. We simply couldn't remove it. Perhaps with a few months of study... In any case, I'm sure Danzo will be glad to hear you are perfectly safe."

The man gave her one last look, a sadistic-looking grin lighting on his face. "Or not. After all, Danzo is already dead."

"Dead?" She parroted before the full import of the words hit her. " _Dead?_ "

"You are quite the parrot aren't you?" The man stopped to give her one last look. "I killed him." Then, he left, shutting the door behind him.

She shot out of her bed instantly and rushed to the door only to find that it was gone. There was no door. There was no bed either. The walls and furniture collectively melted away. This wasn't a hospital room. The room had become a non-descript box with no entrances or exits. This was an Illusion.

Upon realizing that she had been placed in an Illusion, she blasted her Chakra in an attempt to dispel it. Nothing happened. She looked around, her mind a sharp, deadly calm. She needed to escape. Somehow.

Raising a hand to her mouth, she bit the juncture between her thumb and forefinger, causing a sharp sting of pain and a small stream of blood to flow from the wound.  
Nothing happened.  
There was one more thing left to try. Enhancing her fists with Earth elemental Chakra, she rushed toward a wall and blasted it with all her might. The room remained intact.  
What was this? How is this possible?

She looked around as she realized that she was running out of options. Wait. Was the room getting smaller?  
She squinted closely at the length and height of the room and saw a sight that sent a chill of horror down her spine. The room - the box in which she was trapped - was indeed getting smaller. The length, width and height of the walls and ceiling were shrinking - very slowly - right before her eyes.

With a sudden rush born of desperation, she drew Chakra into her fists, incorporating it with Earth, and tried to shatter the dwindling walls again. Nothing happened. Even after she'd exhausted her Chakra, even after she'd blown all she had on every surface she could reach. The walls remained intact, invincible and unbreakable.

Her breathing became desperate as the height between the ceiling and the floor became lesser than her own, unimpressive height.

She hunched over as the walls closed in. There must be something she could do before she was crushed to death. An idea hit her. Recalling the seal that would allow her instantaneous death, she-

She froze. Her teeth unable to muster the force required to break the seal and end her life.

"Ms. Yuno." The medic's voice seemed to speak directly into her head. "That would be cheating."

She tried to move, tried to beg for this man to let her out. Nothing. Something had shut down her motor functions. All that was left was a horrible awareness. Why? Why was this happening to her?!

She couldn't even scream as the walls finally began to crush her slowly, slowly.

And then, after an agonizing and seemingly endless period of time, after having her organs crushed, her bones snapped in various untenable places, she died.

* * *

 **Second Iteration**

* * *

Like from a dream she woke in a comfortable setting. Slowly, she opened her eyes as she scanned her surroundings.

She was in a white box, just like before. There were no doors, no entrances or exits. This time, however, the box's dimensions started smaller, barely allowing her to stand or lay down.

A voice spoke into her head again as she watched the walls shrink slowly. "Why is this happening to you, you ask? Why do such things happen to anyone?"

She rolled herself into a ball and then tried to bite her tongue.

"Ms. Yuno." The voice said in a familiar tone. "That would be cheating."

* * *

 **Third Iteration**

* * *

"Why is this happening to you, you ask?" The voice repeated. "Why do such things happen to anyone?"

Once again, she tried to activate the seal of self-immolation only to be stopped.

"Ms. Yuno. That would be cheating."

* * *

 **Fourth Iteration**

* * *

"Ms. Yuno. That would be cheating."

* * *

 **Fifth Iteration**

* * *

Her lips quivered as, for the first time since she could remember and despite all of Danzo's training, she began to scream and cry with an outpouring of years of pent-up emotion

"Please. Why are you doing this? Let me out! I beg you. Anything! I'll do anything! I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've done. I'm sorry. Please stop! Let me out!"

She hit the walls uselessly with her fists, kicking at them like a child throwing a tantrum. "I beg you. Please." She spluttered.

"Ms. Yuno." Her captor spoke to her relief. He was responding. He would let her go.

"That would be cheating."

* * *

 **Tsukuyomi**

* * *

They say a human can become accustomed to anything. That was true. The feeling of having her neck and spine being bent slowly into impossible angles, of having her organs squished together into untenable positions, these she had come to expect. Yet even so, she begged. She begged every single time. No matter how accustomed she was to the experience, each time was worse than the last.

She lost track of how many times she'd been crushed. She even lost track of when her mind had been broken again. As long as her captor let her out, she would do anything for him. As long as all of it stopped.

As the walls closed in on her for what felt like the millionth time, she closed her eyes and whimpered.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just watched all 19 episodes of Re: Zero in the last two days. Mein Gott. I love Rem so much. I feel so bad for Subaru too. He can be pretty stupid at times, but what a colorful character. I love him too.  
(If you haven't seen the most recent Re:Zero episode and don't want to be spoiled, don't read the next line)  
Seriously, how could he reject her?! How can you _not_ just totally love her. Subaru! WTF?!


	18. Chapter 18

**Dawn - Hokage's Tower**

* * *

A surly-looking man sat at a desk looking distressed as he rolled through reams and reams of paper, his brush whipping about in a blur. "It just had to be during my shift of all times." The man grumbled.

One of the tower guards chose this moment to walk in. "Good morning, Shinomiya!" The guard greeted. "You're still here? The Hokage'll be coming in in about an hour. What's got you so busy today?"

The surly secretary looked up. "Yukihira." He acknowledged and then seemed to want to say more. He shook his head and returned to his work.  
The guard regarded his coworker for a few moments, allowing a brief respite of silence before resuming interference. "What's this I hear about an attack on the Uchiha compound?"

"What was the Hokage thinking?!" The secretary suddenly yelled as if the guard's words had been the final straw that'd broken his streak of calm productivity. "How could he let this happen? Shouldn't there be _guards_ there at all times? The Sharingan is _extremely_ valuable, and it's _so_ obvious that something like this was going to happen. If I were Hokage, I'd have the Sharingan put in a high security container or something. Now look at what's happened. The Last pair of Sharingan is gone. This negligence is simply unbelievable." As the secretary raved, his hands moved animatedly in the air to accent his words. A splattering of ink hit the ceiling one final time, shooting out from the brush in his left hand. The brush was then settled habitually into the inkpot on the table to gather another round of ink.

"Sharingan? You mean Uchiha Sasuke?"

"No, I meant the Sharingan." The secretary clarified. "The boy himself has no inherent value; our Last Uchiha is merely a walking pair of eyes sitting inside a living display case."

"Or semen-machine." The guard suggested, alluding to the Last Uchiha's ability to recreate the entire Uchiha clan.

"Hm." The secretary hummed thoughtfully. "True." He shook his head, picked up his brush and resumed his work.

"So what do you think th-?"

"Yukihira," The secretary interrupted. "Your only job is to stand there and guard me. Shut up and let me do my work. Please."

The guard pouted and re-adjusted his headband. Then, with a long-suffering sigh, he assumed a standard guard posture (arms crossed, chin held up, eyes narrowed, lips upturned in a frown - the whole shebang)

"You think his kidnapper's will brainwash him and then force him to… you know…?"

The secretary continued writing, ignoring his coworker. He did know. He just didn't particularly care. Right now, he had a pile of paperwork and reports to go through. He needed to compile everything before the Hokage came in for the day shift. The fact of the matter was, Shimura Danzo was missing. The fact of the matter was, last night, a civilian residency had been attacked, and while the Hokage himself had dealt with that latter incident quite well, the old man had retired to his estate to catch precious sleep (doctor's orders.)

The fact of the matter was, last night a number of reports had come in from many eyewitnesses, from various scouts, even one from the copy-nin himself (who knew what indecencies that man must've up to to have been wandering around at that time of night?)

Without Danzo (who was generally the one to make operational decisions at this time of night), Shinomiya, the substitute nightly stand-in who usually only took official reports, had been forced to make a number of calls. He'd ordered a recon mission to scout the area and look for where the kidnappers might have gone. That had lead to a dead end. He'd then rounded up all the witnesses, pumping them for details. There had been the repair job that would need to be made before day broke. It would do no good for the outside world to know that Konoha had lost such a valuable asset from within the safety of its walls. With so many people having seen, keeping things under the wraps would be difficult, and his immediate reactions and command-decisions would be pivotal in lessening the spread of information. There was the fact that Shimura Danzo had been last seen entering the Uchiha compound.

Shinomiya wrote out the report in anger. So many units he'd deployed, so many directives that should have produced some kind of lead, and yet all of it had ended in failure. The Last Uchiha was gone. When or if he would even ever return was no longer a factor the Hidden Leaf had a hand in. The Uchiha compound was now nothing more than a series of buildings.

"Hey, Shinomiya?" The guard said loudly, seeming unusually cheerful (as always) despite being blatantly ignored. "I said: Do you think his kidnappers will get him to reproduce and, you know, create a mini-Uchiha clan for them like we'd planned to do?"

Peeved though he was, the secretary dutifully ignored his talkative guard, and, eventually, the guard turned his attentions elsewhere.

* * *

 _How many clones did you summon?_ He scolded himself rhetorically, and answered it in the very same vein of thought. _Too many._

Naruto shook his head. He'd been making clones since the day before. It had been necessary. Even with his memories of his previous life, he didn't know everything. A resident of the future, jinchuuriki and former Hokage though he was, he wasn't a God.

The current location of all his possible friends and foes, their numbers, strengths, concurrent plans, etc. were all details he needed to obtain. In two days, he'd managed to cram thousands of hours of memories into his head, those he couldn't he'd written into a personal report.

Not all clones had been dispelled forcefully of course. Barring the clone that Orochimaru had taken out, all the other that Naruto had sent out had dispelled themselves at preselected intervals so as not to suddenly overload the original Naruto with too much in too short a period of time.

It was the steady stream of dispelled clones - periodic, consistent and unrelenting - that was crippling him further into exhaustion.

It was the price he paid for information.

Yakushi Kabuto, one of the driving forces behind the casualty-ridden Fourth Shinobi World War, was working as a field-medic in training. Kabuto would be one of the few factors that he would not be able to resolve on his own. The man was a genius, and that wasn't putting it lightly. Even from among the various so-called geniuses born in their time - Neji for example - Kabuto stood above them all. It was Kabuto, not Orochimaru, who had finally been the one to have been able to master the snakes' Sage-mode, a feat rivalling even Naruto's own style of Sage-mode that he'd picked up from the toads.

It was Kabuto who had, in his own way, perfected the Edo-Tensei, bringing to life an entire army of history's most devastating forces to have been alive.

It was Kabuto who had brought Uchiha Madara to life. Short of sacrificing a Sharingan to perform and Izanami hypnosis to reconfigure Kabuto's worldview as had been done in another time, Naruto could not think of any other way of dealing with Kabuto.  
 _That's not true_. A thought whispered to him.

Orochimaru was in Suna, the Hidden Sand Village, seeming to be observing the current Kazekage - Gaara's yet-to-be-murdered father - from a distance. The clone that Naruto had used to shadow the Third Kazekage's would-be killer had followed its target relentlessly, discovering a number of secret pathways that Orochimaru used to move in and out of the village, four of the spies that were being employed, every detail of Orochimaru's current disguise, and even the identity of the girl he was planning to slaughter to serve as the next vessel for his immortal soul. In turn, the Snake-Sannin had eventually discovered the high-level sensor that was tailing him (how that had been done was yet a mystery.) The clone had been promptly annihilated, returning a host of memories to the original - two days worth of it.

The clones that had been sent to locate Nagato - the current, standing leader of the Akatsuki and the Hidden Rain - had returned with the location of not only Nagato himself, but also that of various other members of the Akatsuki. Uchiha Obito himself was there right now, still posing as Uchiha Madara and directing the Akatsuki from the shadows.

Sasuke's brother was in the middle of Iwa with his current Akatsuki partner, Hoshigake Kisame. They were likely tracking the location of Iwa's Jinchuuriki. It seemed the Akatsuki, under the behest of Obito, were still bent on collecting the nine Tailed Beasts. They would be making their move soon. After subduing Son Goku (or the Four-tails, as people still called him), they would make their way toward the Hidden Leaf to retrieve Kurama.

Not happening of course, not if things went as planned.

And here they were, already screwing up on the first couple days after he and Sasuke had laid out everything in detail. Danzo wasn't supposed to be killed. Sakura wasn't supposed to have been kidnapped and mutilated. That Sakura would have to live the rest of her life looking like she did now was a result of their complacency. Despite having declared that they would do everything perfectly, they had let the fact that they were the two most capable people on the entire continent get into their heads.

Just the day before, he'd wasted over eight hours at the Hyuuga compound just to be with Hinata. Although he hadn't made his position with her as clear as Sasuke did with Sakura, what he had been doing was, in hindsight, incredibly irresponsible. It all came down to one flawed belief. Being where he was at in terms of prowess and experience, he'd believed that they (he and Sasuke) would be able to run circles around everyone, that everything would go their way simply because they were capable of making fate bend to their will; if not by words coupled with their knowledge of the future, then by sheer force.

But they were not gods. Being powerful and knowing the future did not mean everything happened the way you wanted it to happen. There was a thing called unexpected consequences - cause and effect on a scale too large for anyone to reasonably consider. Even something as simple as declaring an attachment to one person could end with that person becoming a victim of the antagonistic forces that still existed in this time. Who knew? What had happened to Sakura could just as easily have happened to Hinata. Naruto idly began to construct a scenario where the Akatsuki could have taken Hinata as part of a ploy to get him to submit himself and Kurama to their organization. What an idiot he had been.

In the light of the early dawn, Naruto held his head in his hands in a futile attempt to lessen the pulsing pain throbbing in his head. The combination of lack of sleep, excessive clones, and stress had come together to produce one of the most vicious, brain-crushing experiences he could remember experiencing.

He hadn't expected it to be this bad, and his body was giving him no quarter.

And so, when Sasuke popped directly from one dimension to the next right into Naruto's apartment room, he found his time-travelling companion lying fast asleep in his bed. After a few cursory attempts to wake his sleeping partner in time, Sasuke frowned grimly and decided to leave a note.

Naruto hadn't been alone in realizing how badly they'd messed up. Sakura's condition had been as much his fault as much as it had been Naruto's. It was Naruto who'd blurted about them being from the future. It was Naruto who had egged along his and Sakura's relationship. But he couldn't completely blame Naruto. The favoritism that he'd showed and his acceptance of a premature relationship both contributed to what had happened to Sakura.

It made him angry beyond words, but it also served as a wake-up call. He was squandering his time under Naruto's directives. There was no way they would be able to achieve what they had in the future, not with the way things were progressing as they were. Not with Naruto's methods.

Sasuke looked down at his friend's sleeping form once more without a sound nor any expression on his face. Then, abusing his eye one last time, he left the Hidden Leaf Village. It seemed he'd overestimated his limits when it came to using Obito's Sharingan. He traversed the dark cubic terrain, thinking all the while on the retribution he'd doled out only hours before.

Whatever qualms he had about killing Danzo and maiming several members of ROOT had been crushed when he'd seen her face. It was an act of evil only the truly atrocious could have committed, one without rhyme or reason, and there were many more, many which were worse than what Sakura had been put through.

It was too bad the boy who'd donned the Moose mask had committed suicide before anything could be done to him. That had been a mistake, one which he managed to circumvent with the Rat-girl. To see the one who'd carved up his wife's face beg like a beaten dog had been, in no uncertain terms, extremely gratifying.

There was no room for guilt when it came to those who deserved to be punished.

* * *

 **(Noon)**

* * *

The light of day filtered in through the closed blinds. Turning her head tiredly, she blinked. The two hands that revolved within her clock were lined almost perfectly at the number 12.

Something had been done to her last night, her circulation told her. Her chakra was.. Corrupted? It was hard to tell, and she couldn't remember a thing. All she knew was that just the day before, her face had been ruined for no reason she could readily name. And then…

She began to remember.

The deadlast - the Academy dropout and future Seventh Hokage (apparently) - had sat an entire night outside the hospital room in which she was being treated and then had escorted her home. By the time she'd returned to the house, she'd felt tired enough to collapse at the doorway. Still, somehow, even after crawling into her bed, she hadn't been able to fall asleep. What had happened that day had been too terrible, too unexpected. How could such a thing be allowed to happen to anyone? How could it have happened to her?

Ino wouldn't even laugh at her. The Yamanaka Heiress would simply stop seeing her as a human being and instead as something to be pitied - a mere charity case to be showered with words of sympathy and nothing more. After all, who would want to be seen with someone so obviously disfigured and ugly?

Finding a hand mirror, Sakura shifted herself toward the dresser and sat for an indeterminate length of time, contemplating how her life was in shambles. There was no way she could even go outside without wearing some kind of mask. One single question burned through her head throughout her self-examination.

 _Why?_

Why did such a thing happen to her? Why her? Why would anyone do something so terrible? What did they hope to achieve? _Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?_

And then, just when she thought she couldn't be dragged down into despair and self-loathing, the one person who she did not want see her in her pitiable state just _had_ to appear when he was least wanted.

And then… and then-

Her memories began to fail her. She distinctly recalled trying to get him to leave. She told him to leave. He hadn't. Instead, he'd stayed. He'd stayed with her, commanding her to face him. His dark eyes had been gentle... understanding.  
How could she have forgotten? Sakura chided herself as memory after memory suddenly began to crop up in her head, like a circuit of images naturally falling into their rightful place.

She remembered being pulled into his arms and gently laid onto her bed. She remembered him telling her that he loved her, that the only one she needed to look pretty for was him - that she was his future wife and that she would be loved no matter how she looked.

And that was when she'd found peace. He was right. It didn't matter how horrible she looked to herself or to others. As long as he thought her beautiful, she couldn't care less how anyone else thought she looked.  
She remembered him sitting with her, telling her to not worry. And then, she'd fallen asleep.  
Running both hands over her ruined face, Sakura smiled. She was the luckiest girl in the world.

Her smile faded. It was noon. Well past time for breakfast or… for training.

She bolted upright and began slipping on her gear. Why hadn't anyone woken her? She distantly recalled some words from the doctor who had treated her. Kishimoto was his name. A very typical sounding name.

He'd told her, in his effeminate male voice, that she was to receive some kind of psychiatric evaluation in the morning. Well look at the time now. It sure didn't look like morning to her.

Maybe they'd sent someone. Her dad had probably let them in and told them that she was still asleep. Then, they had probably decided to just let her rest. Sleep was, after all, very important when it came to recoveries, both mental and physical.

That was probably what happened.

After pulling on her outfit, she went out the hallway into the washroom, and ran her toothbrush a few times across her teeth. She started at the bottom. Outer left, right, and middle; center left, right and middle; and inner left, right and middle. She repeated the same for her upper teeth, scratching the stiff surface of the brush over her tongue a few times for good measure.

It was then that she saw her mother from her peripherals.

"Hi mom." She said simply.

"Sakura." Came the wavering voice.

Oh gosh. Mom was going to cry wasn't she?

"Why?" Haruno Mebuki whispered in a voice laced with anger, disbelief, wonder and grief. It was funny how easy it was to pick up a person's emotions simply from the tone of her voice.  
It was the same voice Sakura had used to voice the same question not too long after she'd returned home. Why?

She put on her best smile. "It happens in our line of profession. It's the reason we get so many social benefits from the village."

"Sakura!" Haruno Mebuki snapped, causing her daughter to jump. Sakura froze. There was anger in that voice, and this time it was directed toward her. Mom was crying, but there was a cold fury in her voice that made Sakura almost cower.

"Mom?"

"You're going to go to the Hokage today, and you're going to hand in your resignation letter." Mebuki declared in a matter-of-fact voice.

"What?" That hadn't been what she had expected. "Resignation letter for what?" Sakura asked dumbly.

"Don't play stupid with me, Haruno Sakura. You're going to quit being a Shinobi. With your brains, you can do anything. There is no reason for you to choose something that would risk your life like it did last night. Honey-" Mebuki stopped upon seeing her daughter's face frown into defiance, her cheek's scarred surface giving her the appearance of an old woman.

"That's not for you to decide." The girl answered quietly. She turned back to the sink and rinsed her mouth. She was a legal adult now. Her genin qualification afforded her that much, and her mother knew the same.

"Sakura…"

"Sorry mom. I have to go find Kakashi-sensei. I can't miss out on my training."

"Sakura!"

But the girl had already brushed past her mother.  
"Sakura wait."

Sakura stopped and turned, her eyes filled to the brim with tears which spilled down the pathways on her face. "Yes mom?" She replied with a hoarse, frothy anger.

"I wish you would've listened to me." Mebuki said, a spring of tears cropping up out of her own eyes.

Sakura turned away and hurried down the steps, hurried to get away. She didn't need pity. In fact, she hated it. She quickly strapped on a sandal, slipping on her other one with practiced efficiency.

As she got ready to leave, a voice called out from behind her. "Sakura!"

For a moment, she thought the voice was the voice of her mother, coming down to nag her more. Her mother had nagged her about choosing to become a Shinobi ever since it had been discovered that she had an aptitude with Chakra. Nagged her about how bad it was, how she could be doing so many other things like learning to do business or embroidery. Something docile and stupid and boring.

She'd rather be a soldier.

And then the moment had passed. It wasn't her mother's voice that had spoken. Sakura whirled with nervous surprise to see a blonde-haired girl staring with a wide-eyed expression from the narrow apartment hallway.

"What? Ino? What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I-" Ino stammered. "I heard about.. about what happened so I came over"

"So, what do you want?" Sakura crossed her arms and expected the worst. Only Sasuke's opinion mattered. Only Sasuke's opinion. No one else mattered.

Sakura watched as her friend seemed unable to take her eyes off of her. "You look terrible." Ino said with a weak smile.

Sakura pivoted on her feet and rushed out the door without another word. She could feel the tears stinging at her eyes again. Only Sasuke mattered.

The voice cried out from behind her once more. "Sakura, hey! Wait up!"

Sakura ignored her friend. Only Sasuke mattered.

* * *

 **Hinata**

* * *

 _Friends... Let's be friends_ The voice offered. It made her feel warm and happy. The warmth persisted into her dream, where she was surrounded by laughter. Not the mocking kind that she so often heard from schoolyard bullies who liked to pick on _him_. No. It was the laughter of a friend, of someone who was enjoying the time he was spending with her. Of family and of kind people who laughed lovingly..

She dreamed of a village bathed in a glow of happiness, and she was a part of that village, one where everyone got along and everyone was satisfied with where they were in the world; an irrefutable utopia. She revelled in the feeling, wanting nothing more and thinking only of being happy.

She hung suspended in the dream for some indeterminate length of time.

It's impossible to spend too much time in this place, she thought. After all, all good things come to an end.

After another period of time which was much, much too short, the dream began to fade. It fell away in halves. First to go was the laughter. It was replaced by something else, something she couldn't quite make out. The absence of laughter in what had been her dream utopia made her feel half empty, but she wasn't there to dictate what happened. She was only there to feel, even if what she felt wasn't what she would've liked.

Next went the warm happy feeling that had been the focal point of the experience. A sense of vertigo assaulted her fuzzy senses along with a cold that danced on the surface of her skin.

Finally, abruptly, she woke.

The first thing she heard upon resurfacing into the conscious world were the words: ' _Onee-sama_ ' and ' _Wake up!_ ' The replacement to the laughter, she thought. The thought confused her as she found herself looking at her little sister and noticed that the covers had been drawn away.

She shivered. "Hanabi?"

"We have to go to the dojo this morning, remember?!" The girl took her hand and tugged. Hard.

For a moment she forgot the fact that her father had decreed a morning training session for just the three of them. Her, Hanabi and Neji.

The moment went just as quickly as it came. Hinata uttered a small cry of dismay. "Hanabi, what time is it? Are we late?"

"Not at all. It's probably 4:30 right now. You can check yourself."

Hinata activated her Byakugan, and her eyes zeroed in on the time. _**4:20**_ it read.

"Hanabi."

"Yes?" The nine year old chirped brightly.

"It's 4:20."

"Oh it is?"

Hinata blinked blearily. The dojo session was supposed to begin at five thirty. "Never mind. Let me get dressed."

Hanabi practically bounced on her feet as she nodded. "Ok!"

Hinata made a conscious effort not to seem too off-putting, to discourage her sister's excited energy. It had been a long time since Hanabi had come to her like she was doing, a long time since her own sister had been excited to spend time with her.

Hanabi wandered around the room, picking things up and putting them down as Hinata put on form-fitting overalls and a loose jacket.

"Are you done?" Hanabi asked impatiently.

"Almost."

Hanabi took the answer to be a yes and ran to the door. "Let's go wake up Neji!"

"Wake up Neji?" Hinata repeated, her hair still a mess as she hastily slipped on a pair of socks and her sandals. "Wait, what?"

Hanabi grabbed her sister's hand as she had done earlier and pulled. "Let's go!"

* * *

"H-Hinata sama?" Neji stammered as he quickly hid himself into his blanket. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry!" Hinata bowed apologetically. She had no explanation, no words. Fortunately, Hanabi filled in and answered for her.

"Neji! We have training!" The little girl declared. "Come on!"

"It's 4:23." Neji said pointedly. "The session with Hiashi-sama begins at five thirty."

"Yup!" Hanabi agreed.

Neji gave his smaller cousin a momentary look of disapproval. The girl seemed to not notice, and he sighed. "You go first, I'll be right behind you."

"No that's ok. We'll wait for you!"

Neji narrowed his eyes. "What."

"Umm." Hinata murmured quietly and grasped her sister's arm. "Let's go first, Hanabi. We can do some practice sparring."

"But-"

Hinata found her resolve and pulled. "Let's _go_." Hanabi relented reluctantly, and the sisters departed the room.

Neji breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason he couldn't pinpoint, he didn't feel comfortable changing in front of his cousins. There was nothing that they hadn't seen with the Byakugan anyway.

"Neji, are you done!" Little Hanabi's voice called from just outside the door, and Neji rolled his eyes.

 _Kids._

* * *

It was four in the afternoon that Hinata finally was released from her daily training regime with her Genin team. They were going to go on a long-term mission tomorrow. She would miss the morning training sessions for the next several days. The time she spent in the morning with her family focused on the improvement of the varying foundations and techniques of the Gentle Fist were quickly becoming something she looked forward to. She hoped Hanabi wouldn't get too lonely when she was gone.

Despite these worries, Hinata felt fulfilled. Her team was doing well, according to Kurenai-sensei. Even though Kiba and Shino still didn't seem to get along as well as they could. And the best had yet to come. As she strolled down the sparse, late afternoon streets of the apartment area, she found that this had been what she most looked forward to. It was the tryst that had been made the day before, a tryst of friendship with the one whom she had looked up to and admired since she had been a child. And he had promised to meet her again.

Staring up at his apartment room, she activated her Byakugan and found him sitting in his room looking down at a large pile of scrolls. Studying, she assumed and felt a small bit of pride at the thought. Even if he scored the lowest in class, he would always try his best. What she was seeing was proof of the faith she had for him. Hinata took up a spot behind her usual lamppost and waited.

She would stay there until after sunset, watching her hero sort through information with great diligence. Although he never once came out to greet her like she'd hoped, she was happy.

Naruto for his part, did his best to not go out and interact with his future wife as he instinctively wanted to do. He was an adult now, a leader of a village, not the impulsive brat he had once been. He was doing this for her safety.

Still, he felt this sacrifice he was making to be pointless. He could easily subdue any single threat or attacker. Heck, he could produce an entire army with a single Jutsu and yet here he was acting like a coward. It made him angry at himself, even though his anger ultimately did not feel justified.

It also made him feel guilty. It was a miracle he hadn't noticed her doing what she was doing now in his time, when he had truly been at the age he was now. He realized that Hinata had never told him about it, never told him of the hours she'd wasted standing behind that lamppost. He didn't blame her. It was a pretty embarrassing activity to admit to, something she must have outgrown during her time as a Genin. The time she had spent with Kiba, Shino and her Genin-leader would eventually strengthen her self-confidence and, as a result, her social awareness and independence.

There was nothing for him to do but wait. Sasuke had been officially declared kidnapped, but he would show up eventually. He wasn't worried yet. What he needed to do was make sure he was well enough prepared to make his next move. He didn't have time for leisure or frivolities. Yet, even as he tried to concentrate, even as his eyes went over his notes on the Hidden Rain, his mind wandered. The girl standing behind a lamppost in the streets outside his apartment room appeared in his every thought.

What a foolish girl she had been. And what a fool he had been to have not noticed her sooner.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Goodbye to some of you. You will be missed. :'3


	19. Chapter 19

Strange. Very strange.

A sensation.

An oddity.

He couldn't quite place his finger to it.

In the world of living, surrounded by teeming thousands of Chakra-emitting entities known as Shinobi, it was impossible not to have his senses bombarded by the signals that their Chakra sent into the world. Some would consider his extrasensory powers a blessing. Obviously they had never experienced true sensory omnipotence. The human mind was not created to take in so much input, and it had taken him years of meditation and learning to drown out the mass of data that assaulted him almost daily. Now, information passed through his mind without leaving any trace unless he consciously willed it; he was a pipe to the signals when he wanted to be and an efficient miner of information that was useful when he needed it.

At times, he couldn't help but feel pride at how far he had come, how powerful he had become. He remembered a time when he'd thought Jonin-ranked Shinobi to be elite soldiers only overshadowed by their Kage. Even then, there were Jonin who exceeded Kage in power, speed, intelligence, etc. A Jonin was the pinnacle of Shinobi aptitude. A laughable sentiment. From where he stood at present, Jonin-shinobi were fodder at best. The current existing Kage were no better either. He had many talents, one of which was now being evoked for reasons he could not fathom.

How had his mentor put it? An illusion could deceive the senses, but it could not deceive the sensor? Bullshit of course. Namikaze Minato had always been full of bullshit. But in this instance, there was no doubt as to what he was feeling.

In this plane of nothingness that belonged solely to him, this plane of Kamui, he felt the presence of Shinobi, of Chakra that had no way of being here. And it came from the Hidden Leaf. Faint, far, and very _very_ distinct.

"You feel it too, eh?" A voice rasped from the right half of his body.

Uchiha Obito sat down on one of the many massive, ethereal grey cubes that floated in the dark planes of his dimension.

"You didn't drug me, did you, Tobi?"

"Me?!" The voice balked. "Why would I do such a thing? How could you accuse me? ME! Of all people! Are you sure you didn't have too much alcohol or something? That seems _much_ more likely than me doing something to you secretly behind your back because I definitely don't have a hidden agenda to undermine everything you've strived to achieve. Nope. Tobi is a good boy."

"I don't drink."

"I know."

Obito stood and cranked his neck to the side, releasing the air-bubble between his neck and shoulders with a pop. "Well then."

Tobi tittered.

* * *

-Intermission

* * *

Danzo was murdered. The Last Uchiha was gone. Kidnapped. There also seemed to be noticeably less military presence in the streets, something that Hiruzen couldn't quite put his finger to. Word travelled quick, and no matter how they sought to hide information, the death of one of the most influential, powerful men in the Hidden Leaf along with the loss of its most promising future political asset was impossible to hide. The spies would have the information sent to their respective superiors already. The loss of the Uchiha and the assassination of Danzo from right within the midst of the village was a sign of indubitable weakness.

"Naruto. I'm sure you don't need me to explain to you the weight of the situation as it is right now. I believe you owe me a very detailed explanation."

"You know what happened, gramps. Danzo wasn't supposed to be murdered-"

"No he was not."

The child nodded. "Sasuke is acting on his own. Giving him Kamui.. I thought it would help us."

"Concentration of power is always dangerous. So what now? What if Uchiha Sasuke turns against the village? What can you do to stop him, Naruto?"

"He won't turn against the village. You have my assurance."

"Your assurance.." The old Third Hokage reached for a nonexistent pipe and found nothing. "You assured me you'd have Danzo brought to me with charges justly levied against him."

"I am aware."

"Then your assurance is weak, Uzumaki Naruto. I had a hunch and I followed it. Like a fool looking for an easy solution."

"Gramps-"

"I am disappointed, Naruto. Deeply." Hiruzen sat back and sighed. "Danzo was my closest friend. And now the village is in disarray, our enemies-"

"Can be dealt with easily."

Hiruzen drew a loud breath and released it. "It is considered impolite to interrupt a Kage when he is talking. The emperors of old would take the heads of such offenders."

"The emperors of old were selfish tyrants who would order men beheaded in order to possess their wives. Woe to the man with a beautiful wife."

A loud bang cracked onto the Hokage's desk as the Third's palm struck its weak wooden surface. "I did not call you here to hear your wit. My time is precious, and I want to hear the solution to our predicament. Now."

"The way I see it, there is no real predicament. Sasuke may be taking a different approach, but his goal is the same. You'll just have to trust me on that. In any case, both Sasuke and I are capable of besting any military force on the continent. All the Great Nations could turn against us, but as long as I'm here, there's-"

A spiral of kunai shot from behind and above. The knives stabbed into the floor, walls and ceiling.

"That about proves-" Naruto started to say before a Shinobi dropped from the ceiling with a spear arcing straight down toward Naruto's neck.

The man ended up on the floor along with the kunai. "That-"

More Shinobi emerged from different angles. Some from the walls, others from the ceiling and still others from the floor. One even emerged directly out of the incapacitated body of the first assailant.

" _ **STOP!**_ "

Flames of yellow-gold Chakra sprouted with Naruto as a focal point, surrounding the entire Hokage tower and submerging everyone in the tower inside it's aura. The assailants were caught inside like flies caught in jello. Only the Hokage sitting behind his desk was untouched.

Hiruzen chuckled. "Impressive."

"You don't trust me."

"No."

The assailants were promptly shoved against the wooden floor. One of them was pressed into the Hokage's desk. The man struggled, grunting as he tried to roll, slide, or do anything.

"It doesn't matter." Naruto said. "You'll just have to trust me. There are twenty-nine ANBU guards in here, and I can sense them just fine. There are also fifteen thousand two hundred and one villagers, and I know exactly what each and every one is doing. Have I proven myself capable?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "Dismissed."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The Fox loomed large in its cage. " **So this is what you wanted to show me. That power is everything?** " Booming laughter. " **I already knew that.** "

"You're right. Some things require power to achieve, but some things cannot be achieved no matter how much power you have. Love, compassion, peace. Power alone cannot maintain them."

" **Excuses. Words. Irony. You are powerful, Uzumaki Naruto, but you are also incredibly** _ **stupid**_ **.** "

"Maybe I am."

" **You should have taken Hatake Kakashi's eyes for yourself instead of giving it to your friend. He already has a pair. You've got none. It would've made you more powerful.** "

"I trust Sasuke."

The Fox choked and then it began to howl its humor in loud, coughing intervals, as if it was hearing a joke of magnificent proportions.

"Kurama.."

" **You trust- oh yes. That's RICH!** "

"Oy-"

" **Get out of here brat!** " The Fox said between laughter. " **Leave!** "

"There's-"

" **There's nothing you can** _ **say**_ **that would be of any significance to me right now. Leave.** "

Naruto stared up sadly at what had been his closest ally. The creature was in hysterical humor. Tears sprung from its eyes in large rivulets. Like blood. Apparently it was possible to cry tears of laughter in this realm of existence. How the logistics even worked… Naruto didn't care.

"I'll be back." Naruto finally said.

The Fox stopped to level a measured gaze to its keeper. " **Don't forget to bring me another joke when you do.** " It said before reverting to chortling madly.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah whatever. Fuck you too."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Oya oya oya? What's this? What's this that Tobi sees? ANBU? No. ROOT! Yes. Oya! They're all under Illusion too. Prisoners. Are you absolutely _sure_ you didn't have a wild night out while I wasn't looking?"

"You live on me, Tobi." Obito stated quietly as he began to seriously consider Tobi's proposal. A series of water tanks stretching into the darkness further than the naked eye could see. A perfectly straight line, Obito noted with his Sharingan. Not an angle off.

"-most probable explanation." Tobi was saying. "I mean really. You probably drugged _me_. What the hell do you want with ROOT?"

"There's nothing I could want with them." Obito said. "Danzo and ROOT were exactly where I needed them."

"But what if you got-"

"I was neither drunk, intoxicated nor in an unfit state of mind, Tobi."

If Tobi had a face, he would have pouted. "Well sheesh. You're fun."

"I'm not supposed to be." Obito stopped as a presence registered a short distance away just outside his visual range.

"What do you mean you're not-?"

A whistling sound was the only preamble. A flash of light sailed out of the darkness and vanished out of sight as quickly as it came. Obito blinked as he felt a small cut open up on his left ear. The images captured by his active Sharingan showed him the impossible. A boy. Not just any boy. Uchiha Sasuke.

"Oh you've got to be-" Tobi whined but was cut short again by the more exuberant whine of a blade being swung at a speed beyond reason and words.


End file.
